Name: The Address Book
ISBN: 9781781259016

DEIRDRE. MASK

What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power

The Address Book

Deirdre Mask

An extraordinary debut in the tradition of classic works from authors such as Mark Kurlansky, Mary Roach, and Rose George. An exuberant and insightful work of popular history of how streets got their names, houses their numbers, and what it reveals about class, race, power, and identity. When most people think about street addresses, if they think of them at all, it is in their capacity to ensure that the postman can deliver mail or a traveler won’t get lost. But street addresses were not invented to help you find your way; they were created to find you. In many parts of the world, your address can reveal your race and class. In this wide-ranging and remarkable book, Deirdre Mask looks at the fate of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., the wayfinding means of ancient Romans, and how Nazis haunt the streets of modern Germany. The flipside of having an address is not having one, and we also see what that means for millions of people today, including those who live in the slums of Kolkata and on the streets of London. Filled with fascinating people and histories, The Address Book illuminates the complex and sometimes hidden stories behind street names and their power to name, to hide, to decide who counts, who doesn’t—and why.

What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

Taylor

The Address Book is more a collection of long-form journalism articles than a cohesive book. The subject matter is fascinating, but as most nonfiction does these days, it leans heavily on anecdote and is very light on analysis. It is well-researched (according to the kindle version, nearly 30% of the content is endnotes and references) but should be taken as food for thought, not a comprehensive treatment of any of the subjects presented in relation to addresses. 

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Garrett Jansen

This was a fun read with an interesting dive into the way that addressing impacts our lives as well as the way that our daily existence is informed by addressing. Honestly, never thought much about addressing at all and this gave a really fun non-fiction read.

Finalist for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction | One of Time Magazines's 100 Must-Read Books of 2020 "An entertaining quest to trace the origins and implications of the names of the roads on which we reside." —Sarah Vowell, The New York Times Book Review When most people think about street addresses, if they think of them at all, it is in their capacity to ensure that the postman can deliver mail or a traveler won’t get lost. But street addresses were not invented to help you find your way; they were created to find you. In many parts of the world, your address can reveal your race and class. In this wide-ranging and remarkable book, Deirdre Mask looks at the fate of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., the wayfinding means of ancient Romans, and how Nazis haunt the streets of modern Germany. The flipside of having an address is not having one, and we also see what that means for millions of people today, including those who live in the slums of Kolkata and on the streets of London. Filled with fascinating people and histories, The Address Book illuminates the complex and sometimes hidden stories behind street names and their power to name, to hide, to decide who counts, who doesn’t—and why.

Sarah Vaughan

Wonderful, and truly eye-opening. I was totally engrossed in this book. The concept was one I had never even considered. Who knew an address, or lack thereof, could have such deep implications?

The Address Book What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power

Reviews

Highlights