Part one: the way we live today. Mysteries of the mall ; Godfathers of sprawl ; Big-city amenities. Trees. High-tech jobs. Cappucino. Retirement paradise. Nose rings ; Designs for escape ; Thoughts on Home -- Part two: our urban condition. Tocqueville, urban critic ; We're all Venetians now ; Downtown ; Bauhaus blunders ; Downsizing cities ; The fifth city ; Bollard burg ; New York's rumpus room ; Why we need Olmsted again -- Part three: the art of building. A distinguished failure ; Show dogs ; When buildings try too hard ; The unreal America ; The story king ; A good public building ; A blight at the opera ; Sounds as good as it looks ; The biggest small buildings ; Palladio in the rough -- Part four: place makers. The master ; Corbu ; Why Wright endures ; Call Arup ; Mr. Success ; The unfettered eclectic ; A humble architect ; The Zen master ; The smart man from Hollywood.