The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness

A fascinating, thought-provoking journey into our human-made built environment The benefits of nature are well documented. Regular forays into the natural world have been shown to have pronounced, positive effects on our physical and mental health. But how often do any of us get to take a week-long camping trip? The truth is, we spend most of our lives shuttling between homes and offices, schools and hospitals. While this may be an inescapable part of modern life, it also raises the question: What effect do the environments we've built for ourselves have on our mental and physical well-being? In this wide-ranging, character-driven book, Emily Anthes takes us on a trip that starts with the microscopic (the surprising array of microbes that share our homes) and ends with the big picture (the Martian architecture that could help humanity survive for many centuries to come). Along the way, she visits a wide range of scientists, architects, and other professionals working on the cutting edge of design people who are not only aware of how our surroundings shape us, but are working to create buildings that can radically improve our lives. Ranging from operating rooms that decrease human error to schools constructed to enhance learning, and from apartment buildings designed for neurodiverse residents to offices engineered for maximum comfort and efficiency, The Great Indoors is an argument for thoughtful interventions in the built environment and a celebration of the adaptive genius of human beings.