Michael Blowhard on “one of the half-dozen [best] books ... for ... first-year architecture students” —

"A Theory of Architecture," Nikos [Salingaros]'s new book, is on its most basic level a textbook for architecture students. Slim, witty, and thorough -- as well as sophisticated-yet-accessible (a favorite combo of mine) -- this is one of the half-dozen books it'd be great for all first-year architecture students to be marinated in. Time spent with it would orient gifted kids in positive directions, and might even inoculate them against destructive idiocy.

But please don't let that "textbook" label put you off. "A Theory of Architecture" is far more than a textbook -- it's a rich trove of wisdom that should be a stimulating read for anyone interested in the arts. What are the regularities that underlie and nourish artistic production? How best to make use of tradition? When is it fair to conclude that pure-geometry has been overused? These are just a few of the major topics Nikos bites into.

from 2blowhards.com