Why do people work hard, and take pride in what they do? This book discusses about what happens when people try to do a good job. It asks us to think about the true meaning of skill in the 'skills society' and argues that pure competition is a poor way to achieve quality work.

Des façades décrépies de Naples aux immeubles ultramodernes de Shanghai, Thomas Struth photographie la ville dans toute sa diversité depuis la fin des années 70. Cette important ouvrage rétrospectif est publié à l'occasion d'une exposition d'une cinquantaine de ces clichés à la 13e Biennale Internationale d'architecture de Venise jusqu'au 25 Novembre 2012.

This text examines the forces that erode respect in modern society. Respect can be gained by attaining success, through financial independence and by helping others. But, it argues, many who are not able to achieve the demands of contemporary meritocracy lose the esteem they should have.

Living with people who differ - racially, ethnically, religiously or economically - is one of the most urgent challenges facing civil society. This book argues that co-operation needs more than good will: it is a craft that requires skill. It explores the nature of co-operation, why it has become weak and how it can be strengthened.

In Building and Dwelling , Richard Sennett distils a lifetime's thinking and practical experience to explore the relationship between the good built environment and the good life. He argues for, and describes in rich detail, the idea of an open city, one in which people learn to manage complexity. He shows how the design of cities can enrich or diminish the everyday experience of those who dwell in them. The book ranges widely - from London, Paris and Barcelona to Shanghai, Mumbai and Medellin in Colombia - and draws on classic thinkers such as Tocqueville, Heidegger, Max Weber, and Walter Benjamin. It also draws on Sennett's many decades as a practical planner himself, testing what works, what doesn't, and why. He shows what works ethically is often the most practical solution for cities' problems. This is a humane and thrilling book, which allows us to think freshly about how we live in cities. The experience and wisdom of the author are visible on every page. His voice is distinctive and engaging. It should attract anyone interested in the physical circumstances of civilization.
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Richard Sennett grew up in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago, attended the Julliard School in New York and then studied social relations at Harvard. Over the last five decades, he has written about social life in cities, changes in labour and social theory. His books include The Hidden Injuries of Class, The Fall of Public Man, The Corrosion of Character, The Culture of the New Capitalism, The Craftsman and Building and Dwelling. Sennett has advised the United Nations on urban issues for the past thirty years and currently serves as member of the UN Committee on Urban Initiatives. He is Visiting Professor of Urban Studies at Harvard. Among other awards, he has received the Hegel Prize, the Spinoza Prize and the Centennial Medal from Harvard University.> Lire la suite Fermer