On the causes of the greatness and magnificence of cities, 1588 / Giovanni Botero ; translation and introduction by Geoffrey Symcox.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This edition of the treatise - which includes an introduction by Geoffrey W. Symcox on the intellectual context within which it was conceived - is a must-read for anyone interested in the life of cities both historical and contemporary.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Trained as a Jesuit but cursed with a fractious disposition that banned him from a conventional church career, Giovanni Botero produced innovative political and economic treatises that translator Symcox believes deserve greater recognition. To that end, this translation provides readers with the least known of Botero's writings, a work hailed as "the first attempt to define and explore an entirely new field of enquiry, the sociology of cities and the process of urbanization." Rejecting utopian visions of ideal cities, uninterested in architectural analysis, and revolted by Machiavelli's cynical secularism, Botero focused on how real cities of the 16th century worked and the factors that contributed to their greatness. Although replete with examples from Greco-Roman history, the work transcends those references with evidence from the non-European world, especially China and Mughal India, giving the work a global perspective. Beginning with a study of why people initially form urban communities, Botero argues that economic and industrial prosperity is essential for true greatness. Powerful rulers, imbued with Christian principles, are best able to establish this prosperity, along with the peace, justice, and material abundance that assure the longevity of urban centers. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. L. C. Attreed College of the Holy Cross