The Horn Book Guide

BIOGRAPHIES

Lang, Glenna , Wunsch, Marjory

Genius of Common Sense: Jane Jacobs and the Story of The Death and Life of Great American Cities

128 pp. | Godine | May, 2009 | Trade ISBN 978-1-56792-384-1 $17.95

(2) YA Through copious photo documentation, Jacobs is shown as independent-minded and outspoken, with a vivid historical imagination and a poetic turn. The bulk of the book--Jacobs's authorship of her seminal work and role as scourge of so-called urban renewal--is handled clearly and efficiently. Each chapter opens with a full-page illustration by one of the co-authors, an apt, personalizing mix with the many photos. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Bader | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009