Palaces for the People

Posted on 01 February 2018 by Eric Klinenberg

An eminent sociologist and bestselling author offers an inspiring blueprint for rebuilding our fractured society We are living in a time of deep divisions Americans are sorting themselves along racial, religious, and cultural lines, leading to a level of polarization that the country hasn t seen since the Civil War Pundits and politicians are calling for us to come together, to find common purpose But how, exactly, can this be done In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg suggests a way forward He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces the libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, churches, synagogues, and parks where crucial, sometimes life saving connections, are formed These are places where people gather and linger, making friends across group lines and strengthening the entire community Klinenberg calls this the social infrastructure When it is strong, neighborhoods flourish when it is neglected, as it has been in recent years, families and individuals must fend for themselves.Klinenberg takes us around the globe from a floating school in Bangladesh to an arts incubator in Chicago, from a soccer pitch in Queens to an evangelical church in Houston to show how social infrastructure is helping to solve some of our most pressing challenges isolation, crime, education, addiction, political polarization, and even climate change.Richly reported, elegantly written, and ultimately uplifting, Palaces for the People urges us to acknowledge the crucial role these spaces play in civic life Our social infrastructure could be the key to bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides and safeguarding democracy. Read Palaces for the People author Eric Klinenberg – kino-fada.fr I was excited when I won this book on Goodreads I want to thank them and Putnam books to get a pre publication copy of it It is an excellent book for activists who what to improve their communities Most of the examples given are from big cities, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Singapore The surprising entry was from Iceland but nothing like that is possible in the US Their communal swimming pools reminded me of the baths of ancient Rome and Greece that still are popular in Turkey and Hun I was excited when I won this book on Goodreads I want to thank them and Putnam books to get a pre publication copy of it It ...Gives perspective and case studies regarding social infrastructure Especially relevant to public libraries and other civic institutions looking for ways to bewelcoming and responsive to their community Very timely and useful.I took a star off because I found the text somewhat rambling and roundabout I thought it would be muchuseful...I enjoyed his tribute to libraries was skeptical of his pro corporate solutions such as Gates donations to create smaller schools Liberal, not radical, and therefore insufficient targeting of capitalism s fundamental flaws.I received this book for free from the publisher All opinions expressed in this review are my own In Palaces our the People How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life, Eric Klineberg adroitly argues the importance of social infrastructure, a phrase he defines as, the physical conditions that determine whether social capital develops 5 The book, which is divided into six chapters not including the introduction and conclusion a I received this book for free from the publisher All opinions expressed in this review are my own In Palaces our the People How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polari...I thought this book was fantastic because it provided clear and specific solutions for our current problems of inequity and polarization What if you could help an entire neighborhood manage stress, depression and anxiety by increasing access to green space and public gardens What if you could improve health outcomes for communities by fostering spaces for social connection What if you co...I checked this book out from my branch library, and after reading it, I m so grateful for my library This is a book every voter should read, and a must read for our elected representatives Thoroughly researched and written in such an accessible, readable language, Klinenberg combines social science with anecdotes of lived experiences to show why social infrastructure is just as important for our country s health and future as improvements to our decaying infrastructure An especially poignant I checked this book out from my branch library, and after reading it, I m so grateful for my library This is a book every voter should read, and a must read for our elected representatives Thoroughly researched and written in such an accessible, readable language, Klinenberg combines social science with anecdotes of lived experiences to show why social infrastructure is just as important for our country s health and future as imp...I enjoyed this book, particularly for its focus on the theory of social infrastructure This approach was not practical but I think we have to know why before how, which is partially Klinenberg s goal in writing This book is important and I would recommend it to anyone Although the author is a sociologist, his writing is accessible without dumbing things down I will say that each chapter kind of functions as its own essay so it is may not be necessary to read the whole book The whole b I enjoyed this book, particularly for its focus on the theory of social infrastructure This approach was not practical but I think we have to know why before how, which is partially Klinenberg s goal in writing This book is important and I would recommend it to anyone Although the author is a sociologist, his writing is accessible without dumbing things down I will say that each chapte...The author describes how social infrastructure is critical for the well being of humans Social infrastructure, basically, is any place that people can build a support network i.e libraries The decline of social infrastructure, the author argues, diminishes support networks, and make us less tolerant of differing beliefs leading to the current rifts in America Palaces for the People is well written, well researched, and a little redundant I also do not like how the author gives only exampl The author describes how social infrastructure is critical for the well being of humans Social infrastructure, basically, is any place that people can build a support network i.e libraries The decline of soci...Interesting sociological study on social infrastructure I received it from a Giveaways Contest This book explains social infrastructure and gives antidotal evidence on the merits of the topic It was an interesting study and one that should be read by those intereste...I received an ARC of this at ALA And because Eric focuses a lot on libraries, I m naturally a little biased toward loving this.But let s put it this way I enjoyed it so much and want to return to it for future work, I ll be buying a copy even though I have the ARC.

01 February 2018

Eric Klinenberg