How do we go about repairing the dreary nightmare which the American urban landscape has become? Can we start building cities and suburbs for the accommodation of human beings instead of for parking? These are the questions James Howard Kunstler asks, and attempts to answer, in this intense, provocative, hopeful book. If you've ever wondered why Americans who aspire to live on tree-lined main streets seem to wind up in cookie-cutter suburbs and shop at gargantuan malls, he'll tell you why. He does a marvelous job explaining the realities of city planning, zoning and property taxation, and showing how it may be possible to once again construct beautiful places to live. He introduces us to people who are doing exactly that, and proposes ways in which everyday citizens can do it as well. Still, while Kunstler's premise is inarguable, and his agenda is commendable, a few of his personal theories seem a little hollow: It's debatable whether a more beautiful environment would really cut down on crime or alleviate poverty, or that all French cities are graceful and livable, or that the expensive, dirty, crime-stricken island of Manhattan is the only successful urban environment in America. But odd theories aside, this is a book which needed to be written. If you love cities, you certainly need to read Home From Nowhere.,