This story includes a brief excursion into Western human history and
through pre-Industrial European towns and villages, in order to explore
our fundamental nature and our real needs as human beings. The journey
will show us what sustainable human settlements that existed for
hundreds of years and into the present looked like before the era of
fossil fuels. This view of a past full of insight and ingenuity - both
of which were somehow lost as we blindly embraced everything "modern" -
allows us to visualize a future world with healthy, fulfilling
lifestyles, and buildings and communities that nurture the human spirit
and exist in harmony with nature. This book will help us understand what
is necessary to rediscover the extraordinary human creativity and
ingenuity that have repeatedly saved us throughout our existence and
allowed us to thrive as a species. Drawing from the best of our past,
present, and visionary re-thinking of both, The Poetry of Architecture
is an indispensable guide to a sustainable and livable future.