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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsLast Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville: Real Estate Development in America from George Washington to the Builders of the Twenty-first Century, and Why We Live in Houses Anywayby Witold Rybczynski
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:In Last Harvest, the award-winning author of Home and A Clearing in the Distance tells the compelling story of New Daleville, a brand-new residential subdivision in rural Pennsylvania. When Witold Rybczynski first heard about New Daleville, it was only a developer's idea, attached to ninety acres of cornfield an hour and a half west of Philadelphia. Over the course of five years, Rybczynski met everyone involved in the transformation of this land — from the developers, to the community leaders whose approvals they needed, to the home builders and sewage experts and, ultimately, the first families who moved in. Always eloquent and illuminating, Rybczynski looks at this "neotraditional" project, with its houses built close together to encourage a sense of intimacy and community, and explains the trends in American domestic architecture — from where we place our kitchens and fences to why our bathrooms get larger every year. As Publishers Weekly said, "Rybczynski provides historical and cultural perspective in a style reminiscent of Malcolm Gladwell, debunking the myth of urban sprawl and explaining American homeowners' preference for single-family dwellings. But Rybczynski also excels at 'the close-up,' John McPhee's method of reporting, where every interview reads like an intimate conversation, and a simple walk down neighborhood sidewalks can reveal a wealth of history." Last Harvest is a charming must-read for anyone interested in where we live today — and why — by one of our most acclaimed and original cultural writers. Review:"Maybe you like the way America is being built, maybe you don't, but either way you will not find a more absorbing or patient look at the real real estate process than this elegant time-lapse portrait of a neighborhood-to-be. Witold Rybczynski is the poet laureate of what you haven't noticed that's probably right in front of you." Robert Sullivan, author of Cross Country: Fifteen Years and 90,000 Miles on the Roads and Interstates of America Review:"Nowhere do pretty hypotheses get blast-tested by the facts as in the work of Witold Rybczynski. He is not the kind of scholar who looks at perfectly functional realities and asks whether they can possibly work in theory. Instead, in Last Harvest Rybczynski is our engaging and authentic guide, immersing us in a fascinating narrative of how real people live, work, play — and build. Last Harvest is The Soul of a New Machine for the new urbanism." Joel Garreau, author of Edge City: Life on the New Frontier Synopsis:Traces the creation of a rural Pennsylvania residential subdivision from its planning and building stages to the residencies of its first owners, in an account that offers insight into the years-long process of housing development and how it is related to sprawl and ex-urban growth. By the author of The Perfect House. 60,000 first printing. Table of ContentsI: The developer — Seaside — Epiphanies — Last harvest — Life, liberty, and the pursuit of real estate — Joe's deal — On the bus — Meetings — Scatteration — More meetings — II: Drop by drop — On the way to exurbia — Design matters — Locked in — House and home — Generic traditional — The dream — Builders — A compromise — III: Trade-offs — Mike and Mike — Ranchers, picture windows, and morning rooms — Pushing dirt — The market rules — Bumps in the road — Hard sell — Competition — The spreadsheet buyers — Moving day. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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Arts and Entertainment » Architecture » Cityscape
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