I have read quite a few books on urban development and the role of cities over the past one year. I have yet to read Lewis Mumford's classic 'The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects'.

It does not seem to be readily available in any bookstores here but it is apparently available in the reference section of the library.

Another book that appears intriguing is 'Beneath the Metropolis: The Secret Lives of Cities', written by Alex Marshall, a journalist. This book "investigates how geological features, archaeological remnants of past civilizations, and layered networks transporting water, electricity, and people, have shaped these cities through centuries of political turbulence and advancements in engineering — and how they are determining the course of the cities' future."

I have spotted multiple copies of this one in MPH. Hmmm...