"Manuel Castells is the definitive analyst of the contemporary city and of urban society, and students of urbanism have long needed a comprehensive and accessible digest of his most important work. This encyclopedic selection, revealing the evolution of his ideas over three decades, will instantly become an academic classic." Peter Hall, University College London

"A great book. Castells's profound intelligence elucidates the transformations of cities in the twentieth century. Ida Susser has produced a book that illuminates the theoretical underpinnings of his far-ranging achievements. A must read for scholars in sociology, anthropology, political science, and urban planning." Carol Stack, University of California, Berkeley

"A very useful collection of some key works from one of the most important urban theorists of the post-1960s world. With an excellent historical and biographical introduction, this reader spans the still evolving ideas of Manuel Castells over nearly three decades." Neil Smith, City University of New York

"this book will make an indispensable student text, and as such it is to be highly recommended." Gary Pattison, BSA Network, October 2002

"A book that will prove useful to sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, geographers, architects, & scholars of urban studies" K. Larsen, Sociological Abstracts, December 2002