<i>Architecture and Suburbia: From English Villa to American Dream House, 1690–2000</i> (review)

tive preservation tools? . . . [has it] limited horizons, frozen creativity, and arrested creative development?” (383). preservationists cannot afford to ignore the implications of these questions. too often our most promising young preservationists, instead of advocating openly for preservation to the public, are muzzled by their government employers. we must adapt our methods as the world changes around us. in the mid-twentieth century, citizens banded together in large numbers to fight for their heritage, for their neighborhoods, and for beauty in their daily lives. they won the right to have their views become part of the planning process. but like every law, the landmarks law requires political will and citizen participation to be effective. to think of that law or the national preservation act as a culmination of the story, a tidy final note, is a mistake. the story continues today, and if it seems that it is not turning out as planned, perhaps we have only to look at ourselves and the society we have helped create to find the reasons. anthony wood’s preserving new York helps us realize again that preservation is about passionate people, not about laws—it should be required reading for all of us who care about preserving our history.