A well-written, informative and witty commentary on the dangers of the western food culture. A reminder that the health of individual human beings is closely related to the ecological, cultural and agricultural environment (soil, plants and animals). Pollan argues that reductionist nutrition science takes nutrients out of the context of whole foods and foods out of the context of culture, and advocates instead a holistic approach to food, emphasizing the relationships […]
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“A Pattern Language” by Christopher Alexander
An Architect’s Utopia “Do what you can to establish a world government, with a thousand independent regions, instead of countries”. This statement alone should alert readers that A Pattern Language is not just a DIY manual for home builders, although it is a good manual too, as the reviews on amazon.com can attest. This book is very ambitious and impressive in the breadth and depth of its coverage, touching on […]
Read more“The Timeless Way of Building” by Christopher Alexander
One of the most delightful and insightful books I’ve ever read. It is written with the fluidity of a poet and the preciseness of a mathematician. “There are those special secret moments in our lives, when we smile unexpectedly –when all our forces are resolved. … When we know those moments, when we smile, when we let go, when we are not on guard at all–these are the moments when […]
Read more“The Oregon Experiment” by Christopher Alexander
The Principle of Participation: The fundamental human needs: to create, to control, to identify with the environment in which they live and have a sense of ownership. The Principle of Diagnosis: The well being of the whole is protected by an annual diagnosis which explains, in detail, which spaces are alive and which ones dead, at any given moment in the history of the community. The Principle of Piecemeal Growth: […]
Read more“The New Theory of Urban Design” by Christopher Alexander
Vision “Every project must first be experienced, and then expressed, as a vision which can be seen in the inner eye (literally). It must have this quality so strongly that it can also be communicated to others, and felt by others, as a vision.” “This vision is a literal thing. It is not merely an idea or concept, but a thing seen and felt in the mind’s eye as in […]
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