Cities of the Mind,

A discussion is made of the nature and sources of the urban crisis, a debate which has often been called a national sport, particularly appealing to amateur humanitarians, social scientists, journalists, and embattled mayors. It is, the author claims, an intriguing controversy characterized by ingenuous or fanciful theory, provocative insights, and sharp rebuttals. The main fascination appears to be that so many people can look at the same reality and discover so many different causes and dynamics -- always with considerable conviction that one favored explanation can solve the puzzle.