Daniel Brook – Keynote Speaker

Author and Urbanist at the Intersection of Past, Present, and Future

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Specialist Subjects

Building the Global City
Why American Products Conquer The World
Globalization and Its Discontents

Topics

Language

English

Biography

Daniel Brook is the acclaimed author of books on urban history including A History of Future Cities, The Accident of Color, and The Einstein of Sex (forthcoming). His work as a journalist and book and architecture critic has appeared in publications including Harper’s, The New Yorker, Architectural Record, Foreign Policy, and The New York Times Magazine. In his writing, Brook, who has reported from five continents, uses concrete observations—of a building, a city, an institution, or a person—to ground broader explorations of economic and political questions.

Brook’s work has garnered numerous awards including the Ina and Robert Caro Research/Travel Fellowship, the Winterhouse Award for Design Writing and Criticism, and Yale University’s John Hersey Prize. A History of Future Cities was named one of the ten favorite books of the year by The Washington Post, featured on the cover of the TLS, and longlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize, awarded to the best foreign affairs book published in the English language each year.

Brook has appeared many times on National Public Radio and C-SPAN BookTV and has presented his research globally at thinktanks, universities, and museums, including the Asia Society, the University of Toronto, and the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. His research has been supported by institutions including the Library of Congress, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. His writing has been translated into French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

Born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island, and educated at Yale, Brook lives in New Orleans.

Recent testimonials

“Daniel's presentation was the perfect kick-off event for a symposium on Sustainable Cities—engaging, interesting, thought-provoking. Daniel was a joy to host. He delivered the caliber of speech that reflected positively on our organization. I wish we could host him annually! I absolutely recommend him.”

Former Director of the Center for Sustainable Enterprise, UNC-Chapel Hill

“UCCA was privileged to host a lively program with Daniel Brook related to his book, A History of Future Cities. In a wide-ranging discussion, he concisely and concretely brought home the points made at greater length in the book, taking our capacity crowd on a journey through Mumbai, St. Petersburg, Dubai, and back to China. Daniel's engaging speaking style and willingness to engage meaningfully with questions allowed for a memorable talk. His expertise, curiosity, and humility cut through the linguistic and cultural barriers, bringing the audience new insight on a topic of immediate relevance to their lives.”

Director of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing

“When A History of Future Cities by Daniel Brook was published in 2013, I read it and learned a great deal. From 2000 to 2020 I organized an ongoing series of author talks at the University of Toronto. Attendees were graduate and doctoral students, professors and professionals from all sectors. I invited Daniel to come to Toronto as a guest of the University and give a public talk based on his book. He did so on March 3, 2013. The event’s fee was the same as the book’s suggested retail price. A large audience registered. Each paid registrant received a signed hardcover when they arrived. Some purchased additional copies at the event. Daniel’s talk was very engaging. I invited him to return to the University of Toronto on December 3, 2013 for an onstage conversation about his book led by one of the University’s leading professors. A large audience registered for that event at a registration fee equal to the book’s retail price. Each paid registrant received a signed hardcover and some purchased additional copies. Daniel’s thoughtful remarks at that event were just as compelling as his book talk was nine months earlier.”

Director of Strategic Events, University of Toronto

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