Rogers Chris

Over 2,000 years of settlement give London its unique architectural heritage. Unlike Haussmann’s Paris, neither monarch nor politician imposed their will; private ownership and enterprise shaped the city and defined its parts. Elegant West End squares and crescents hallmark the Classical townscape that emerged between 1600 and 1830, but medieval, Tudor and Victorian enclaves identified by occupation, class or guild make their own design statement, notably in the City and East End. From its renewal after the Great Fire of 1666 as a centre of commerce, culture, finance and as a railway hub, the seat of power and law, How to Read London reveals through the built environment how London’s domestic, civic and commercial landscape has evolved and adapted from imperial capital to global city.

The global economic crisis has catalysed debates about the merits of capitalism as a system for organizing production, distribution and exchange. Political elites have argued that capitalism is not fundamentally pernicious or crisis-prone and can be successfully reformed with the right set of policies. Conversely, many have argued that a wholesale change of attitude towards the status and creation of wealth in contemporary society is required if crises of this kind are to be prevented in the future. In Capitalism and Its Alternatives, Chris Rogers provides a critical introduction to theories of capitalism and to the forms of its crises in historical and contemporary contexts, as well as reflecting on the practice of anti-capitalism and the ways that economic and social relations are shaped, reshaped and resisted. Crucially, the book asks two key questions: What alternatives to capitalism exist? And by what processes and through what institutions might they be achieved?

The global economic crisis has catalysed debates about the merits of capitalism as a system for organizing production, distribution and exchange. Political elites have argued that capitalism is not fundamentally pernicious or crisis-prone and can be successfully reformed with the right set of policies. Conversely, many have argued that a wholesale change of attitude towards the status and creation of wealth in contemporary society is required if crises of this kind are to be prevented in the future. In Capitalism and Its Alternatives, Chris Rogers provides a critical introduction to theories of capitalism and to the forms of its crises in historical and contemporary contexts, as well as reflecting on the practice of anti-capitalism and the ways that economic and social relations are shaped, reshaped and resisted. Crucially, the book asks two key questions: What alternatives to capitalism exist? And by what processes and through what institutions might they be achieved?

The Power of Process explores Michael Pearson's fascinating career, from his work in British architecture in the 1960s and 70s through to his innovative projects of the 90s to the present. Michael Pearson is past President of the Architectural Association, London's prestigious architecture school. The Power of Process sets out the importance of Michael Pearson and his work, from his initial work within the family firm, his teaching and presidency of the Architectural Association, to small-scale artists' studios and large-scale hospital planning, to the first thorough appreciation of Burne House, his most important work. The title The Power of Process, refers to Michael Pearson's abiding concern for 'process' in modern architecture -- that is, how the conception and making of architecture is driven by information systems, the inter-connectedness between a buildings use, how it is manufactured and, importantly how its use can adapt and change over time. As such, his interest in process puts him at the forefront of the British High-Tech architecture, more famously associated with Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.