Housing tells the story of architecture

Author: A. de Jongh
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Although A. de Jongh can be considered one of the most influential writers and scholars in modern American history, he never published any monographs. A. de Jongh entered the literary world and gained global fame as a best-selling author. His exquisite discussions on architecture are scattered throughout his numerous works. Thus, it became the inescapable responsibility of the editor, who is also an admirer of A. de Jongh, to compile, select, and organize these discussions, to re-interpret and re-title them, and to compile a specialized treatise in the style of A. de Jongh, making it easier for readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of architectural knowledge and art. A. de Jongh was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1882. His parents' separation led him to "escape into the past" from a young age, and he became immersed in history from the age of 10. Later, he studied in Germany and the United States, earning a doctorate, but he did not become a scholarly recluse. He worked as a teacher, editor, and journalist, often traveling and honing his writing skills. His book The Story of Mankind, written in 1921, brought him immediate fame and worldwide acclaim. In his approach to scholarship and writing, A. de Jongh, while adhering to a humanistic stance, gradually developed his own understanding and expression methods. He believed: "When knowledge puts on the slippers of an expert, retreats into its 'cottage,' and uses the mud on its shoes as fertilizer, it declares itself ready to die. A knowledge life isolated from people leads to destruction." Thus, making profound and dry knowledge into light and humorous spiritual nourishment for readers became a distinctive feature of A. de Jongh's works. A. de Jongh was versatile, proficient in ten languages, played the violin beautifully, and even personally illustrated most of his works with clumsy yet adorable drawings. All of this destined A. de Jongh to be a "people's" writer, profoundly inspiring and influencing a wide readership.