Books for the Readers on Your Gift List
We’re avid readers and are happy to share recommendations. Since the holidays are upon us, we’ve curated the following list of titles we’ve been reading this year. They might be of interest to the readers on your gift list - especially if they’re fans of planning, architecture and history.
Many of the books we read are subject of lecture or book clubs for associations like the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art or the Congress for the New Urbanism. We have favorite authors and tend to read non-fiction with particular interest in titles on topics we’ve never studied.
We’ve added some notes to the following list to help you determine if the book might be a good fit for your intended recipient. Many people listen to books rather than reading them so we’ve also commented on performances when it seems relevant.
The following is our list… starting with the lighter reading and graduating to more technical topics. You can click the title or the image of the book cover to visit the author of publisher’s page for each book.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
by Erik Larson
April 30, 2024
ISBN-10 : 0385348746
ISBN-13 : 978-0385348744
Erik Larson is lauded for his detailed explanations of historical events. This telling of the beginning of the American Civil War gives readers a sense of perspective from both sides of the conflict.
Many people make a pilgrimage to Charleston to see its incredible successes in historic preservation. Part of that trip is an awareness of Fort Sumter - which many visitors choose to tour in person.
Larson’s book carries the reader through the harrowing challenges of the soldiers in the fort and helps visitors understand the chain of events that began the most bloody conflict in American history. Larson’s meticulous research allowed him to weave multiple perspectives together to craft this must-read book for anyone interested in history… and planning to visit Charleston.
For those enthusiasts of audio books (what we still call “books on tape”), The Demon of Unrest is read by Will Patton - the well-known actor. We’d like to know what you think of his performance.
Mark Twain
by Ron Chernow
May 13, 2025
ISBN-10 : 0525561722
ISBN-13 : 978-0525561729
You’re likely aware of Ron Chernow’s work even if you don’t realize it. For example, Chernow wrote the biography of Alexander Hamilton on which the Broadway play by Lin-Manuel Miranda was written.
Chernow’s new biography of Twain is a remarkable companion to Twain’s own work The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today published in 1873. Twain’s book coined the term for the Gilded Age and the parallels in his book bear a striking resemblance to his own life. So much so, we recommend reading Twain’s book first.
Chernow’s book is the longest on this list at 1200 pages though the detail Chernow presents makes it worth the time. He offers an understanding of the drives and tragedies in Twain’s life that put Twain’s actions and talent into a new perspective.
Those seeking this book in an audio format will find it’s read by Jason Culp. Culp does an excellent job though it can’t compare to the performance of Broson Pinchot’s reading of The Gilded Age…. though few performances could reach that level of accomplishment.
A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing
by Max Podemski
March 25, 2025
ISBN-10 : 0807016152
ISBN-13 : 978-0807016152
Max Podemski’s book is an excellent companion to Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis and earlier books like Jane Jacob’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Podemski unpacks how our housing stock responded to the needs of urban living before being zoned out of existence.
Podemski explains the evolution of houses as he proceeds through chapters that examine housing types in specific cities. This helps the reader understand the challenges such as topography, climate, etc. It’s a deeper dive into housing types than earlier books so it’s particularly interesting for people who have traveled or would like to travel to American cities.
Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World
by Henry Grabar
May 9, 2023
ISBN-10 : 1984881132
ISBN-13 : 978-1984881137
This book may have the ugliest cover of the group though it makes a series of points critical to understanding the relationship of cars and successful cities. Why read 368 pages about parking? As Grabar explains, parking creates a series of challenges in our lives and the solutions to those problems are often the opposite of the solutions proposed in city and town hall meetings around the country.
Parking is fundamentally misunderstood so people jump to conclusions about how to solve health, safety and affordability challenges. Grabar walks the reader through a history of parking that includes some incredible failures (such as Chicago trading away its authority over city-wide parking) and he concludes with a series of examples of successful solutions.
This book should be required reading for all elected officials (no matter the department) and community leaders because parking affects all of us. This book might be the recipe to refute the failed yet still mandatory parking requirements in your city.
Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe
by Carl Zimmer
February 25, 2025
ISBN-10 : 0593473590
ISBN-13 : 978-0593473597
The COVID-19 pandemic had a series of effects on our society. Some of them are as rudimentary as those covered in Henry Grabar’s book about parking. Some of them are an awakening regarding the quality of information coming from government officials.
Carl Zimmer’s book takes an in-depth look at what’s in the air we breathe. As an architecture firm, we’re concerned about addressing building and energy code requirements for tighter homes - homes with fewer air leaks. Zimmer’s book helps the reader better understand what’s in the air we breathe and how to deal with unwanted microbes such as viruses.
While Zimmer’s book notes shocking failures on the part of the World Health Organization and others around the COVID-19 pandemic, that’s not the theme of the book. Instead, Zimmer has assembled a history that can serve as a reference for designers and government officials - particularly those charged with protecting public health.
At 496 pages, this isn’t a short book on a simple topic though it’s accessible for readers who do not have a scientific background. It should be popular among doctors, public health officials and those responsible for the design + maintenance of our buildings (houses are buildings).
Leave a comment below to let us know if you’ve read any of these titles or have any to recommend!
Other Posts of Interest:
Architecture of the Last Colony Book Launch
Gift Idea: American Classicist
COMMENTS: We’ve enabled comments for this post to encourage discussion and learn from you. Please review and adhere to the blog comment policy in our Terms of Service if you want your comment to be posted. Requirements include no anonymous posts (first name and last initial is fine). Please include your email address - your email address will not be displayed or added to our email list. All comments are moderated - they will not appear immediately.