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duparker's review
4.0
Interesting take on malling of America. There are social, cultural and architectural elements. All are interesting to check out.
danitrieskey's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more. And I literally thought 'slog' as I finished it.
I expected more of a sociological study that was fully engaging. There were moments, but it landed more academic.
I expected more of a sociological study that was fully engaging. There were moments, but it landed more academic.
stevenyenzer's review
4.0
This book is catnip for me, but I also think it will be enjoyable to almost anyone from my generation who spent time in malls.
joeynedland's review
4.0
Pretty good book! Interesting history of malls in America, from a cultural, architectural, and urban planning lens. Loses luster when it starts simply recounting pop culture and describing phenomena that were ancillary to actual malls (Stranger Things and other, more drawn out retelling of movies and TV shows). Lightly recommend.
lyrareadsbooks's review
4.0
Some of the writing is a little unclear at the start (the who is who of architecture reads for insiders), but has a lot of affection for much aligned shopping mall. It’s insightful and forward looking. Those who bash malls would do well to read this and understand its importance as a gathering place.
glowbird's review
Ok! This is an excellent piece of research and I’m grateful it exists. However, it’s not compelling as a piece of casual reading.
cwalsh's review
4.0
A really fascinating look into the history and current state/demise of the shopping mall. The first half of this book deals with the inner workings and creation of the mall (location, structure, architecture) while the later half deals with the mall as sociological structure (both in pop culture and in real life).
While a book like this can sound dry, it remained engaging throughout... namely because of Lange's prose:
"The common ground of all ruin porn is waste. A waste of materials, a waste of design, a waste of imagination. I can't admire the lines of a building if I am thinking about how its emptiness brings the city down, block by block, crime by crime, into a vicious cycle of limited economic opportunity. Any travelers in the world of dead malls must ask themselves whether they are prepared to fight to put people back into the gutted buildings, or it they merely intend to pick over the aesthetic bones."
While a book like this can sound dry, it remained engaging throughout... namely because of Lange's prose:
"The common ground of all ruin porn is waste. A waste of materials, a waste of design, a waste of imagination. I can't admire the lines of a building if I am thinking about how its emptiness brings the city down, block by block, crime by crime, into a vicious cycle of limited economic opportunity. Any travelers in the world of dead malls must ask themselves whether they are prepared to fight to put people back into the gutted buildings, or it they merely intend to pick over the aesthetic bones."