Home: A Short History of an Idea

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First edition (publ. Viking Press) Home A Short History of an Idea.jpg
First edition (publ. Viking Press)

Home: A Short History of An Idea is a book published in 1986 by Canadian architect, professor and writer Witold Rybczynski.

Home won the 1986 Governor General's Award for non-fiction.

The book is an extended essay on the evolution of domestic living and culture; Rybczynski recounts the history of the material and cultural influences (such as intimacy and privacy, domesticity, ease) as well as ideas about light, air, and efficiency, all of which he claims to have helped shape the idea of comfort. [1] The book was a bestseller. [2] In an article published by The New Yorker in 2022, Ian Parker referred to the book as "a classic 1986 study of domestic architecture". [3]

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References

  1. Gass, William H. (3 August 1986). "MAKING OURSELVES COMFORTABLE". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  2. Jacobs, Karrie (7 May 2014). "Old, Good Things Seen Anew". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  3. Parker, Ian (19 March 2021). "HGTV Is Getting a Renovation". The New Yorker. Retrieved 8 May 2022.