Cities and the Wealth of Nations, Jane Jacobs
Cities and the Wealth of Nations, Jane Jacobs
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Cities and the Wealth of Nations
Principles of Economic Life

Author: Jane Jacobs

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Unabridged: 10 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/09/2022

Synopsis

In this eye-opening work of economic theory, Jane Jacobs argues that it is cities—not nations—that are the drivers of wealth. Challenging centuries of economic orthodoxy, in Cities and the Wealth of Nations the beloved author contends that healthy cities are constantly evolving to replace imported goods with locally produced alternatives, spurring a cycle of vibrant economic growth. Intelligently argued and drawing on examples from around the world and across the ages, here Jacobs radically changes the way we view our cities—and our entire economy.

About Jane Jacobs

Jane Jacobs (1916–2006) was a writer and activist who championed new approaches to urban planning for more than forty years. Her 1961 treatise The Death and Life of Great American Cities became perhaps the most influential American text about the inner workings and failings of cities, inspiring generations of urban planners and activists. Her efforts to stop the building of downtown expressways and protect local neighborhoods invigorated community-based urban activism and helped end Parks Commissioner Robert Moses’ reign of power in New York City.

About Bernadette Dunne

Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Troy

I haven't read this book in almost ten years, but I love Jane Jacobs. She's one of my heroes. However, I'm not sure where I stand with this book. Economically, I get the sense that she's right, but I don't know any 'serious' economist who has taken up her challenge. On the other hand, this should be......more

Goodreads review by Paul

The first I heard of Jane Jacobs was in 1986, while I was working as a user test analyst at the Insurance Corporation of B.C. I had coffee one day with a coworker who, it turned out, had a degree in economics. We got talking about economic issues and he mentioned Jane Jacobs. "She's really good," he......more

Goodreads review by Guy

This is an unbelievably important book for anyone critical of current economic practice. Jacobs gives a counter-intuitive but absolutely compelling argument as to why the great cities of the world are falling into decline. And that is that they are subjected to a common currency. Jacobs' arguments a......more

Goodreads review by Jon

It took me a while to get through this book because it is a serious and direct explanation of economic processes at work in the world. It is well written, but a bit dry simply because of the nature of the topic (obviously I'm not an economist). However, there are some very important implications to......more

Goodreads review by Steve

This book's now a little dated, but its core ideas -- that wealth is largely created by innovation in cities (well, metropolitan areas in the current terminology) and that certain types of subsidy policies can decrease overall economic utility -- may have been expressed first or most clearly here.......more

Quotes

“Not only comprehensible but entertaining…Like Mrs. Jacobs’s other books, it offers a concrete approach to an abstract and elusive subject. That, all by itself, makes for an intoxicating experience.” New York Times

“Not only comprehensible but entertaining…It offers a concrete approach to an abstract and elusive subject.” New York Times

“Learned, iconoclastic, and exciting…Jacobs’s diagnosis of the decay of cities in an increasingly integrated world economy is on the mark.” New York Times Book Review

“Learned, iconoclastic, and exciting.” New York Times Book Review

“Jacobs’s book is inspired, idiosyncratic, and personal…It is written with verve and humor; for a work of embattled theory, it is wonderfully concrete, and its leaps are breathtaking.” Los Angeles Times

“Jacobs’s book is inspired, idiosyncratic, and personal…Written with verve and humor.” Los Angeles Times

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