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SoBrief
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Palaces for the People
by Eric Klinenberg • 2018
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
3.97
5k+
Palaces for the People Summary
Palaces for the People 91%
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
by Eric Klinenberg 2018
3.97
5k+ ratings
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
by William H. Whyte • 1980
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
4.33
927
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Summary
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 90%
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
by William H. Whyte 1980
4.33
927 ratings
Sidewalk
by Mitchell Duneier • 1999
Some of the most disorderly figures on the sidewalk are also the ones preventing real crime.
4.15
2k+
Sidewalk Summary
Sidewalk 90%
Some of the most disorderly figures on the sidewalk are also the ones preventing real crime.
by Mitchell Duneier 1999
4.15
2k+ ratings
Community Building on the Web
by Amy Jo Kim • 1999
Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.
3.68
101
Community Building on the Web Summary
Community Building on the Web 90%
Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.
by Amy Jo Kim 1999
3.68
101 ratings
Bowling Alone
by Robert D. Putnam • 2000
The clubs emptied and Americans stopped voting. The damage goes deeper than loneliness.
3.85
9k+
Bowling Alone Summary
Bowling Alone 89%
The clubs emptied and Americans stopped voting. The damage goes deeper than loneliness.
by Robert D. Putnam 2000
3.85
9k+ ratings
Together
by Richard Sennett • 2011
The rituals and crafts that make cooperation possible are being dissolved by short-term capitalism.
3.81
469
Together Summary
Together 89%
The rituals and crafts that make cooperation possible are being dissolved by short-term capitalism.
by Richard Sennett 2011
3.81
469 ratings
Who Really Rules? New Haven and Community Power Reexamined
by G. William Domhoff • 1978
The pluralists said nobody ruled New Haven. Three club rosters and Yale's board minutes disagree.
3.75
8
Who Really Rules? New Haven and Community Power Reexamined Summary
Who Really Rules? New Haven and Community Power Reexamined 89%
The pluralists said nobody ruled New Haven. Three club rosters and Yale's board minutes disagree.
by G. William Domhoff 1978
3.75
8 ratings
The Myth of Santa Fe
by Chris Wilson • 1997
Santa Fe's adobe charm is a twentieth-century invention, built to attract tourists and new money.
3.87
69
The Myth of Santa Fe Summary
The Myth of Santa Fe 89%
Santa Fe's adobe charm is a twentieth-century invention, built to attract tourists and new money.
by Chris Wilson 1997
3.87
69 ratings
Life After Cars
by Sarah Goodyear • 2025
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
4.26
1k+
Life After Cars Summary
Life After Cars 89%
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
by Sarah Goodyear 2025
4.26
1k+ ratings
Paint Your Town Red
by Matthew Brown • 2021
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
3.71
173
Paint Your Town Red Summary
Paint Your Town Red 89%
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
by Matthew Brown 2021
3.71
173 ratings
Reveille for Radicals
by Saul D. Alinsky • 1946
Democracy requires organized conflict and leaders from the bottom. A 1946 manual, still unheeded.
3.84
589
Reveille for Radicals Summary
Reveille for Radicals 89%
Democracy requires organized conflict and leaders from the bottom. A 1946 manual, still unheeded.
by Saul D. Alinsky 1946
3.84
589 ratings
Gang Leader for a Day
by Sudhir Venkatesh • 2008
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
4.07
26k+
Gang Leader for a Day Summary
Gang Leader for a Day 89%
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
by Sudhir Venkatesh 2008
4.07
26k+ ratings
The Left Behind
by Robert Wuthnow • 2018
Rural America's anger is grief: not for lost jobs, but for communities where belonging meant duty.
3.58
650
The Left Behind Summary
The Left Behind 89%
Rural America's anger is grief: not for lost jobs, but for communities where belonging meant duty.
by Robert Wuthnow 2018
3.58
650 ratings
Heaven Is a Place on Earth
by Adrian Shirk • 2022
Utopia is a practice, not a place. Three centuries of Americans building communities from scratch.
3.93
215
Heaven Is a Place on Earth Summary
Heaven Is a Place on Earth 89%
Utopia is a practice, not a place. Three centuries of Americans building communities from scratch.
by Adrian Shirk 2022
3.93
215 ratings
The Good Society
by Robert N. Bellah • 1991
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
3.66
105
The Good Society Summary
The Good Society 89%
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
by Robert N. Bellah 1991
3.66
105 ratings
Uses of Disorder
by Richard Sennett • 1970
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
3.88
258
Uses of Disorder Summary
Uses of Disorder 89%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 ratings
Building and Dwelling
by Richard Sennett • 2018
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
4.02
983
Building and Dwelling Summary
Building and Dwelling 89%
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
by Richard Sennett 2018
4.02
983 ratings
American Aloha
by Heather A. Diamond • 2008
A hula stage on the National Mall: how festivals manufacture tradition and erase a colonial past.
4.20
10
American Aloha Summary
American Aloha 89%
A hula stage on the National Mall: how festivals manufacture tradition and erase a colonial past.
by Heather A. Diamond 2008
4.20
10 ratings
Tactical Urbanism
by Mike Lydon • 2014
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
3.99
315
Tactical Urbanism Summary
Tactical Urbanism 89%
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
by Mike Lydon 2014
3.99
315 ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 88%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
No Shame in My Game
by Katherine S. Newman • 1999
The job everyone ridicules might be the best shot at dignity for America's working poor.
3.75
466
No Shame in My Game Summary
No Shame in My Game 88%
The job everyone ridicules might be the best shot at dignity for America's working poor.
by Katherine S. Newman 1999
3.75
466 ratings
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
by Jane Jacobs • 1961
Slums with low crime and safe sidewalks: the invisible logic cities follow when planners look away.
4.29
20k+
The Death and Life of Great American Cities Summary
The Death and Life of Great American Cities 88%
Slums with low crime and safe sidewalks: the invisible logic cities follow when planners look away.
by Jane Jacobs 1961
4.29
20k+ ratings
Having Nothing, Possessing Everything
by Michael Mather • 2018
A pastor stopped tallying what his poor neighborhood lacked. What he found rewrote his calling.
4.39
241
Having Nothing, Possessing Everything Summary
Having Nothing, Possessing Everything 88%
A pastor stopped tallying what his poor neighborhood lacked. What he found rewrote his calling.
by Michael Mather 2018
4.39
241 ratings
Ghetto
by Mitchell Duneier • 2015
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
3.75
583
Ghetto Summary
Ghetto 88%
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
by Mitchell Duneier 2015
3.75
583 ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 88%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
Happy City
by Charles Montgomery • 2012
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
4.36
10k+
Happy City Summary
Happy City 88%
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
by Charles Montgomery 2012
4.36
10k+ ratings
Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies
by Melanie Smith • 2003
Tourism is a cultural battlefield: heritage, authenticity, and power in every destination.
3.47
15
Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies Summary
Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies 88%
Tourism is a cultural battlefield: heritage, authenticity, and power in every destination.
by Melanie Smith 2003
3.47
15 ratings
A Paradise Built in Hell
by Rebecca Solnit • 2009
Disasters create utopias of mutual aid. The catastrophe begins when authorities impose control.
3.95
4k+
A Paradise Built in Hell Summary
A Paradise Built in Hell 88%
Disasters create utopias of mutual aid. The catastrophe begins when authorities impose control.
by Rebecca Solnit 2009
3.95
4k+ ratings
Flesh and Stone
by Richard Sennett • 1996
Why Western cities silence the body, and how the body fights back in stone.
4.28
541
Flesh and Stone Summary
Flesh and Stone 88%
Why Western cities silence the body, and how the body fights back in stone.
by Richard Sennett 1996
4.28
541 ratings
The Moral Basis of a Backward Society
by Edward C. Banfield • 1958
Why some societies stay poor: a moral code that stops at the family doorstep.
3.84
245
The Moral Basis of a Backward Society Summary
The Moral Basis of a Backward Society 88%
Why some societies stay poor: a moral code that stops at the family doorstep.
by Edward C. Banfield 1958
3.84
245 ratings
The Rise of the Creative Class
by Richard Florida • 2004
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
3.68
3k+
The Rise of the Creative Class Summary
The Rise of the Creative Class 88%
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
by Richard Florida 2004
3.68
3k+ ratings
Qualitative Research in Practice
by Sharan B. Merriam • 2002
Qualitative research, taught through real human stories that reveal what methods chapters leave out.
3.87
61
Qualitative Research in Practice Summary
Qualitative Research in Practice 88%
Qualitative research, taught through real human stories that reveal what methods chapters leave out.
by Sharan B. Merriam 2002
3.87
61 ratings
Zoned in the USA
by Sonia A. Hirt • 2014
The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.
4.01
136
Zoned in the USA Summary
Zoned in the USA 88%
The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.
by Sonia A. Hirt 2014
4.01
136 ratings
Cities
by Monica L. Smith • 2019
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
3.26
446
Cities Summary
Cities 88%
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
by Monica L. Smith 2019
3.26
446 ratings
Capital City
by Samuel Stein • 2019
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
3.92
2k+
Capital City Summary
Capital City 88%
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
by Samuel Stein 2019
3.92
2k+ ratings
Cognitive Surplus
by Clay Shirky • 2010
Spare time, once captive to television, is now building public goods at the scale of nations.
3.83
6k+
Cognitive Surplus Summary
Cognitive Surplus 88%
Spare time, once captive to television, is now building public goods at the scale of nations.
by Clay Shirky 2010
3.83
6k+ ratings
Justice at Work
by Marc Doussard • 2022
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
5.00
3
Justice at Work Summary
Justice at Work 88%
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
by Marc Doussard 2022
5.00
3 ratings
Road to Nowhere
by Paris Marx • 2022
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
4.16
643
Road to Nowhere Summary
Road to Nowhere 88%
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
by Paris Marx 2022
4.16
643 ratings
Lifehouse
by Adam Greenfield • 2024
Votes and green tech won't stop climate collapse. The real plan: neighbors caring for each other.
3.84
86
Lifehouse Summary
Lifehouse 88%
Votes and green tech won't stop climate collapse. The real plan: neighbors caring for each other.
by Adam Greenfield 2024
3.84
86 ratings
The Just City
by Susan S. Fainstein • 2010
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
3.75
174
The Just City Summary
The Just City 88%
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
by Susan S. Fainstein 2010
3.75
174 ratings
Coding Freedom
by Gabriella Coleman • 2012
They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.
3.82
280
Coding Freedom Summary
Coding Freedom 88%
They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.
by Gabriella Coleman 2012
3.82
280 ratings
Fragmented Democracy
by Jamila Michener • 2018
Your zip code decides your Medicaid benefits. It also decides whether you bother with politics.
4.23
120
Fragmented Democracy Summary
Fragmented Democracy 88%
Your zip code decides your Medicaid benefits. It also decides whether you bother with politics.
by Jamila Michener 2018
4.23
120 ratings
Curbing Traffic
by Melissa Bruntlett • 2021
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
4.38
633
Curbing Traffic Summary
Curbing Traffic 88%
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
by Melissa Bruntlett 2021
4.38
633 ratings
Individualism and Commitment in American Life
by Robert N. Bellah • 1989
America built its democracy on shared moral traditions. Then it built a culture that erased them.
4.13
15
Individualism and Commitment in American Life Summary
Individualism and Commitment in American Life 88%
America built its democracy on shared moral traditions. Then it built a culture that erased them.
by Robert N. Bellah 1989
4.13
15 ratings
The Power Broker
by Robert A. Caro • 1974
How one unelected man built New York, bulldozed entire communities, and answered to no one.
4.53
30k+
The Power Broker Summary
The Power Broker 88%
How one unelected man built New York, bulldozed entire communities, and answered to no one.
by Robert A. Caro 1974
4.53
30k+ ratings
The Sociology of Georg Simmel
by George Simmel • 1964
Why a secret, a stranger, and a two-person group reveal more about society than any institution.
3.90
73
The Sociology of Georg Simmel Summary
The Sociology of Georg Simmel 88%
Why a secret, a stranger, and a two-person group reveal more about society than any institution.
by George Simmel 1964
3.90
73 ratings
Join the Club
by Tina Rosenberg • 2011
Peer pressure has toppled dictators and slowed epidemics. The case for aiming it deliberately.
3.49
340
Join the Club Summary
Join the Club 88%
Peer pressure has toppled dictators and slowed epidemics. The case for aiming it deliberately.
by Tina Rosenberg 2011
3.49
340 ratings
Habits of the Heart
by Robert N. Bellah • 1985
America's faith in the autonomous self has hollowed out its communities and left citizens isolated.
3.89
1k+
Habits of the Heart Summary
Habits of the Heart 88%
America's faith in the autonomous self has hollowed out its communities and left citizens isolated.
by Robert N. Bellah 1985
3.89
1k+ ratings
What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia
by Elizabeth Catte • 2018
Appalachia's story isn't moral failure. It's extraction, and resistance is the real tradition.
4.01
5k+
What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia Summary
What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia 88%
Appalachia's story isn't moral failure. It's extraction, and resistance is the real tradition.
by Elizabeth Catte 2018
4.01
5k+ ratings
Ethnic Boundary Making
by Andreas Wimmer • 2012
Ethnic boundaries are built, not inherited. Who draws the lines, and how they get enforced.
3.55
22
Ethnic Boundary Making Summary
Ethnic Boundary Making 88%
Ethnic boundaries are built, not inherited. Who draws the lines, and how they get enforced.
by Andreas Wimmer 2012
3.55
22 ratings
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