Centers of progress : 40 cities that changed the world /
by Chelsea Follett.
- xviii, 398 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Intro Foreword Introduction 1 Jericho Agriculture 2 Göbekli Tepe Religion 3 Budj Bim Aquaculture 4 Uruk Writing 5 Mohenjo-Daro Sanitation 6 Nan Madol Seafaring 7 Memphis Medicine 8 Ur Law 9 Chichén Itzá Team Sports 10 Athens Philosophy 11 Alexandria Information 12 Rome Roads 13 Chang'an Trade 14 Baghdad Astronomy 15 Kyoto The Novel 16 Bologna Universities 17 Hangzhou Paper Currency 18 Florence Art 19 Dubrovnik Public Health 20 Benin City Security 21 Mainz Printing Press 22 Seville Navigation 23 Amsterdam Openness 24 Agra Architecture 25 Cambridge Physics 26 Paris Enlightenment 27 Edinburgh Social Science 28 Philadelphia Liberal Democracy 29 Vienna Music 30 Manchester Industrialization 31 London Emancipation 32 Wellington Suffrage 33 Chicago Railroads 34 Los Angeles Cinema 35 New York Finance 36 Hong Kong Noninterventionism 37 Houston Spaceflight 38 Berlin Fall of Communism 39 Tokyo Technology 40 San Francisco Digital Revolution Acknowledgments Illustrations & Figures Suggested Further Reading Discussion Questions for Book Clubs & Classrooms
"Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is the story of the city. It is cities that have created and defined the modern world by acting as the sites of pivotal advances in culture, politics, science, technology, and more. There is no question that certain places, at certain times in history, have contributed disproportionately toward making the world a better place. This book tells the story of forty of those places. In Centers of Progress: 40 Cities that Changed the World, Chelsea Follett examines a diverse group of cities, ranging from ancient Athens to Song-era Hangzhou. But some common themes stand out: most cities reach their creative peak during periods of peace; most centers of progress also thrive during times of social, intellectual, and economic freedom, as well as openness to intercultural exchange and trade; and centers of progress tend to be highly populated. Because, in every city, it is ultimately the people who live there who drive progress forward--if given the freedom to do so. Identifying common factors--such as relative peace, freedom, and multitudes--among the places that have produced history's greatest achievements is one way to learn what causes progress. Change is a constant, but progress is not. Understanding what makes a place fertile ground for progress may help to sow the seeds of future innovations. Moreover, their story is our story. City air provides the wind in the sails of the modern world. Come journey through these pages to some of history's greatest centers of progress"--
9781952223655 (paperback) 1952223652 (paperback)
2023017908
Progress. Progreso Social change. Cambio social Cities and towns--Growth. Ciudades y pueblos --Crecimiento Cities and towns--Social aspects. Ciudades y pueblos --Aspectos sociales Cities and towns--Political aspects. Ciudades y pueblos --Aspectos políticos