num_pages: 256
description: In this indispensable book, urban visionary Jane Jacobs argues that as agrarianism gives way to a technology-based future, we’re at risk of cultural collapse. Jacobs—renowned author of  The Death and Life of Great American Cities  and  The Economy of Cities —pinpoints five pillars of our culture that are in serious community and family; higher education; the effective practice of science; taxation, and government; and the self-regulation of the learned professions. The corrosion of these pillars, Jacobs argues, is linked to societal ills such as environmental crisis, racism, and the growing gulf between rich and poor.But this is a hopeful book as well as a warning. Drawing on a vast frame of reference—from fifteenth-century Chinese shipbuilding to Ireland’s cultural rebirth—Jacobs suggests how the cycles of decay can be arrested and our way of life renewed. Invigorating and accessible,  Dark Age Ahead  is not only the crowning achievement of Jane Jacobs’ career, but one of the most important works of our time.
language: English
title: Dark Age Ahead
titlecomplete: Dark Age Ahead
genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Cultural, Economics, Urbanism, Cities, Urban Studies, Sociology, History, Urban Planning
ratings_count: 1154
awards: awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, awardedAt: 1104566400000
name: British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
publisher: Vintage