A number of people emailed me this past weekend saying that they appreciated the recent book recommendation -- something to read over the holidays. So here's another one: Metropolis -- A History of the City, Humankind's Greatest Invention.

Right now is probably the ideal time to read a book about the history of cities because it's a reminder of just how resilient cities are in the face of adversity. Even ones that have been utterly wiped out because of war or some other catastrophe have managed to successfully rebuild.

If you'd like to buy a copy, you can do that over here. This book was also featured in part two of a "book club" that The Urbanist is running on its radio show right now. So if you'd like to take it for a 30-minute spin instead, click here.