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"-- Provided by publisher.