Metropolis
A History of the City, Humankind's Greatest Invention
By Ben Wilson | Publisher: Doubleday Canada
About the book
A captivating narrative journey through twenty-six world cities and across seven thousand years that shows how city living has sparked humankind's greatest innovations--from bestselling and award-winning historian Ben Wilson.
During the two hundred millennia we've been on the planet, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. In a fascinating narrative that ranges through cities famous and forgotten, acclaimed historian Ben Wilson tells the glorious story of how urban living has allowed human culture to flourish. Beginning with Uruk, the world's first city, he shows that cities created such a blossoming of human endeavor--new professions, new forms of art, worship, and trade--that they kick-started civilization itself. Despite outbreaks of plague and war, and outlasting empires, the city endured and new cities sprang up to capture the inimitable energy of human beings together.
Wilson reveals the innovations nurturned amid the density of urban centers over the centuries: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Epoque Paris. In the modern age, the skyscrapers of New York City inspired utopian visions of community design, while the trees of twenty-first-century Seattle and Shanghai point to a sustainable future in the age of climate change. Page turning and irresistible, Metropolis is a history of cities that is also a history of how humanity lives.
Editions of Metropolis
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780385543460
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780385690966
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780385690980
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780525436331
- EBook
- ISBN 9780385690973
- EBook
- ISBN 9780385543477
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593293218
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593293225
Read an Excerpt
A captivating narrative journey through twenty-six world cities and across seven thousand years that shows how city living has sparked humankind's greatest innovations--from bestselling and award-winning historian Ben Wilson.
During the two hundred millennia we've been on the planet, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. In a fascinating narrative that ranges through cities famous and forgotten, acclaimed historian Ben Wilson tells the glorious story of how urban living has allowed human culture to flourish. Beginning with Uruk, the world's first city, he shows that cities created such a blossoming of human endeavor--new professions, new forms of art, worship, and trade--that they kick-started civilization itself. Despite outbreaks of plague and war, and outlasting empires, the city endured and new cities sprang up to capture the inimitable energy of human beings together.
Wilson reveals the innovations nurturned amid the density of urban centers over the centuries: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Epoque Paris. In the modern age, the skyscrapers of New York City inspired utopian visions of community design, while the trees of twenty-first-century Seattle and Shanghai point to a sustainable future in the age of climate change. Page turning and irresistible, Metropolis is a history of cities that is also a history of how humanity lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Metropolis about?
A captivating narrative journey through twenty-six world cities and across seven thousand years that shows how city living has sparked humankind's greatest innovations--from bestselling and award-winning historian Ben Wilson.
During the two hundred millennia we've been on the planet, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. In a fascinating narrative that ranges through cities famous and forgotten, acclaimed historian Ben Wilson tells the glorious story of how urban living has allowed human culture to flourish. Beginning with Uruk, the world's first city, he shows that cities created such a blossoming of human endeavor--new professions, new forms of art, worship, and trade--that they kick-started civilization itself. Despite outbreaks of plague and war, and outlasting empires, the city endured and new cities sprang up to capture the inimitable energy of human beings together.
Wilson reveals the innovations nurturned amid the density of urban centers over the centuries: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Epoque Paris. In the modern age, the skyscrapers of New York City inspired utopian visions of community design, while the trees of twenty-first-century Seattle and Shanghai point to a sustainable future in the age of climate change. Page turning and irresistible, Metropolis is a history of cities that is also a history of how humanity lives.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Metropolis?
History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Social and cultural history
Where can I read a sample of Metropolis?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780385543460
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Metropolis?
Ben Wilson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Metropolis is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780385543460) and hardcover(ISBN 9780385690966) and paperback(ISBN 9780385690980) and paperback(ISBN 9780525436331) and ebook(ISBN 9780385690973) and ebook(ISBN 9780385543477) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593293218) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593293225)
Where can I buy Metropolis online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Metropolis from below
Where can I buy Metropolis?