Philosophy of the Home - Domestic Space and Happiness - Emanuele Coccia

Philosophy of the Home: Domestic Space and Happiness by Emanuele Coccia, translated by Richard Dixon / ISBN 9781802061017 / 191-page paperback, 4.35 x 7.1 inches, published by Penguin Classics

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A bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom - are these rooms all that make a home? Not at all, argues Emanuele Coccia. The buildings we inhabit are of immense psychological and cultural significance. They play a decisive role in human flourishing and, for hundreds of years, their walls and walkways, windows and doorways have guided our relationships with others and with ourselves. They reflect and reinforce social inequalities; they allow us to celebrate and cherish those we love. They are the places of return that allow us to venture out into the world.

In this intimate, elegantly argued account, Coccia shows how the architecture of home has shaped, and continues to shape, our psyches and our societies, before then masterfully leading us towards a more creative, ecological way of dwelling in the world.

"I have been waiting for Philosophy of the Home. Coccia’s reflections take you through the complexity of the notion of home – not merely as a place, but as a space of philosophy, history, politics, and art" -- Hans Ulrich Obrist

"A precious guide … There is so much more at stake than the material quality of a place for living … For us human beings, the house represents the universe" -- Chris Dercon

"An insightful book that illuminates the rooms you live in and makes you understand what they mean" ― la Repubblica

"A hymn of praise for the home" ― Die Presse

"I absolutely DEVOURED this book and have been recommending it to every architect and academic I know" -- Jessica Helfand, a founding editor of Design Observer