The Course Of Landscape Architecture

The Course Of Landscape Architecture: A History Of Our Designs On The Natural World, From Prehistory To The Present (published by Thames & Hudson) is a survey of more than 3,000 years of mankind's shaping of the natural landscape. Such an ambitious narrative can't be covered comprehensively in 300 pages, so the book alternates between general summaries of major themes and detailed case studies of specific sites.

Christophe Girot provides a fascinating overview of our attitudes to our environment over the centuries, linking them to major scientific discoveries and artistic innovations: "Landscape is the crucible of human actions and reactions towards nature, and landscapes are the product of a deep cultural revolution that occurred at the dawn of human settlement 9,000 years ago." He argues, therefore, that we must "achieve a more respectful relationship towards our world, by giving a greater place to nature in society."