Brian Ladd Book order (chronological)

Cars are a significant detriment to civilization, contributing to suburban sprawl, urban decay, environmental damage, and climate change, alongside our dependence on questionable foreign oil. The human cost is staggering, with approximately thirty million lives lost in car accidents during the twentieth century, not to mention the countless hours wasted in traffic. This prompts a critical question: have we reached the end of the automotive age? The relationship with automobiles has been contentious since their inception, with debates about their impact persisting for over a century. Brian Ladd argues that this complex relationship defines the automotive era, with opinions ranging widely. Industry advocates and oil magnates often celebrate cars, downplaying their negative effects, while technophobes and environmentalists criticize them, overlooking the freedoms they afford. Ladd examines this dichotomy, focusing on cities like Paris, Nazi Germany, postwar London, Los Angeles, New York, and modern Shanghai. He weaves in historical figures and cultural references, creating a rich tapestry of insights. This book offers compelling cultural commentary and deep historical exploration, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

In this compelling work, Brian Ladd examines the ongoing conflicts radiating from the remarkable fusion of architecture, history, and national identity in Berlin. Ladd surveys the urban landscape, excavating its ruins, contemplating its buildings and memorials, and carefully deconstructing the public debates and political controversies emerging from its past."Written in a clear and elegant style, The Ghosts of Berlin is not just another colorless architectural history of the German capital. . . . Mr. Ladd's book is a superb guide to this process of urban self-definition, both past and present."—Katharina Thote, Wall Street Journal"If a book can have the power to change a public debate, then The Ghosts of Berlin is such a book. Among the many new books about Berlin that I have read, Brian Ladd's is certainly the most impressive. . . . Ladd's approach also owes its success to the fact that he is a good storyteller. His history of Berlin's architectural successes and failures reads entertainingly like a detective novel."—Peter Schneider, New Republic"[Ladd's] well-written and well-illustrated book amounts to a brief history of the city as well as a guide to its landscape."—Anthony Grafton, New York Review of Books