The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness Hardcover – June 23, 2020

Easy but thought provoking read. Loved the balance between science and architecture. Will be re-reading this one again soon!

The author walks through different types indoor spaces with us, I fount it very interesting, to see how people try to make indoors more adaptive to human behaviour.I agree that the architecture is the hardware, it needs the software (e.g.policy) to make a true difference to behavioural changes. It's sad to see how a well-thouhgt architecture couldn't bring its functions into full use because of unsuitable policy.A small note - I read it on kindle, my progress was 64% then I realized I have already finished the book. The rest is notes, acknowledgement, index, etc. It's a bit disappointing, as I thought there will be more content coming. Nice book nevertheless!

The title of Ms. Anthes book— a title that maybe could be traced to the publisher’s marketing department—immediately raises lots of red flags.All those hot words—Surprising Science ...Shape...Our Behavior...Health...etc—tell us we’re about to dive deep into a paean to Sheng fui and similar mysticisms.Thankfully, Ms. Anthes is a journalist with a well-honed understanding of medicine and science.She’s also, it should be said, possessed of a fluid and easy to follow writing style, no small achievement when dealing with complicated medical science issues.Ms. Anthes lays out a sound case for believing the possible link between an innovative architecture style and human physiological and psychological health—even as she casts a skeptical eye on all the claims made in behalf of the architecture-health association.In other words, in her visits to schools, prisons, workplaces she shows an appreciation for the efforts to change for the better their impact on the humans within them, even as she questions, at times, if the vaunted positive effects are real—or sustainable at all.Her approach leaves the reader with an appreciation of the possibilities of architecture’s impact on our lives while also leaving us willing to wait for the clinching arguments.Full disclosure: I am a friend of her parents, but I am also a journalist who spent much of 40 years writing articles and books about medical science.

The Great Indoors is an invaluable resource for upcoming architects, interior designers, engineers, etc. Anyone involved in the building arts and the built environment should pick up this book. The author, Emily Anthes, painstakingly researched pioneers, innovators and great developments in the built environment that leaves a hopeful future to look forward to.That being said, I think the title could be a bit misleading. This isn't for casual reading and if someone picked up this book hoping for a really scientific, behavioral and health study then they'd be understandably disappointed. The book is more of a series of well researched design concepts and case studies that inhabit the current world of architecture/design/urban planning. These include residential microorganisms (the most scientific topic of the book), prison reform, aging in place, inhabitants with disabilities, childhood education and more, all as they relate to architecture and design. Most chapters are ripe with case studies that you can further research and find images and articles to delve into.I've already recommended this to designers and architects I know, and will continue to do so.

I have just started this book, and it promises to be interesting, but the font is so tiny that I can barely read it, even with appropriate glasses. I am finding it so annoying that so am returning the ones I purchased as gifts.

Great information, but the print is really small. I found it actually a little hard to read and I have 20/20 vision. Wish it wasn’t so small.

I thought this would a comprehensive review of how to design buildings for humans, but it's a review of some recent research into how to design buildings for humans. It was good.

I read a lot of non-fiction, and am impressed by the ability of most writers in this genre to put me to sleep.Emily's book, by contrast, is full of all these quirky and timely insights, and as I read it during this time of quarantine I couldn't help but marvel at the biodiversity of the indoor space I otherwise thought of as being pretty sterile.Also good stuff in here about the psychological and health impacts of buildings on us. You can see some of this research in her pieces for various outlets (Washington Post etc.) but the bulk of it is here, in this book. Well worth a read.

maravilhoso.