Dark age ahead

In this indispensable book, urban visionary Jane Jacobs argues that as agrarianism gives way to a technology-based future, we're at risk of cultural collapse. Jacobsrenowned author ofThe Death and Life of Great American CitiesandThe Economy of Citiespinpoints five pillars of our culture that are in serious decay: community and family; higher education; the effective practice of science; taxation, and government; and the self-regulation of the learned professions. The corrosion of these pillars, Jacobs argues, is linked to societal ills such as environmental crisis, racism, and the growing gulf between rich and poor. But this is a hopeful book as well as a warning. Drawing on a vast frame of referencefrom fifteenth-century Chinese shipbuilding to Ireland's cultural rebirthJacobs suggests how the cycles of decay can be arrested and our way of life renewed. Invigorating and accessible,Dark Age Aheadis not only the crowning achievement of Jane Jacobs' career, but one of the most important works of our time.