The Architecture of Happiness - (Vintage International) by Alain de Botton (Paperback)

About the Book

Bestselling author de Botton considers how individuals' private homes and public edifices influence how they feel, and how dwellings could be built in such a way as to promote a sense of happiness.

Book Synopsis

A dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our locations.

One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets that surround us. And yet a concern for architecture is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. In The Architecture of Happiness, Alain de Botton starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.

Review Quotes

"De Botton has a marvelous knack for coming at weighty subjects from entertainingly eccentric angles."
--The Seattle Times

"An elegant book. . . . Unusual . . . full of big ideas. . . . Seldom has there been a more sensitive marriage of words and images."
--The New York Sun

"With originality, verve, and wit, de Botton explains how we find reflections of our own values in the edifices we make. . . . Altogether satisfying."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"De Botton is high falutin' but user friendly. . . . He keeps architecture on a human level."
--Los Angeles Times

About the Author

ALAIN DE BOTTON is the author of three works of fiction and five of nonfiction, including How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, and The Art of Travel. He lives in London.