The Architecture of Happiness - Alain de Botton

Alain De Botton investigates the multi-faceted relationship architecture has with our personal lives and our cultural landscape. He explores the different ways architecture has been supported and neglected throughout history. 'The Architecture of Happiness' is a book about the whims of society, about how shifting cultural attitudes come to shape both the design and the philosophical foundations of the all-too-permanent buildings in which we live. Botton grapples with broad philosophical issues, such as the problems created by the advent of modernity, but applies them cleverly and concisely to a tangible reality: the construction of a building.

The book makes a walk around the city much more interesting - especially a city as architecturally rich as Edinburgh or Glasgow - because the simple aesthetic pleasure of a building now raises a range of intriguing questions about one's personal tastes and those of the community that built it. One minor flaw is Botton's prose, which at times can be flowery and verbose, but the ideas he presents fully compensate for this shortcoming. All in all, a highly recommended book that will intrigue even those with no prior interest in architecture. [Brady Yauch]