Prairie Mind: Frank Lloyd Wright & Usonian Architecture of Self-Space

Reviewed by Donald Altman, author Simply Mindful, Reflect, The Mindfulness Toolbox, and 101 Mindful Ways to Build ResilienceHaving grown up on the north side of Chicago, I lived for a time just two blocks from a Frank Lloyd Wright (FWL) house. Though it was years ago, I still recall how the brick and wood home had a simplicity of lines, with lots of walkways and windows, and how it blended in with the surrounding lush bushes and trees. If you weren't paying attention, you might not even see it; and yet, it favorably stood out from the squarish and squatty cottage and bungalow style homes nearby. Now, having read Prarie Mind, my perception of windows, corners, and landscape are forever transformed. So is my understanding of FLW.Prarie Mind is perhaps more of an authentic biography than most biographies are. But it's not a typical biography nor is it meant to be one. That's because it offers you a view inside the mental landscape of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright (FWL) himself. It's like you step out of your own skin and see things from the non-dual perspective of FLW.That's only possible because this unique book translates Wright's architecture into a psychology of mind, and it incorporates the non-dual philosophies of Wrights' many writings, along with his interactions with the non-dual visionary mystic Gurdjieff, and even the neurobiology of Zen and the brain.For me personally (and as a writer who tries to make his work accessible), the real fun of reading the book was this: Prarie Mind is written in a style that matches the spacious inner-outer melding of FWL's work and ideas--at once pithy, profound and dense, yet also mind-blowingly expansive, humorous and pattern interrupting.In conclusion, this is not so much a book as it is an invitation for you to de-construct and re-construct how you experience reality. I've read other books from this author, and his use of language is always sheer delight. But this book is refreshingly different. It is Somov's enlightening and poetic gift to us all, a place where metaphysics finds a proper home amid art and beauty and design.

Couldn't put it aside after starting to read. Have always been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and this book provides insightful commentary on his life and work in ways that I had never considered. A good addition to my library, which will be read again and again!

I really enjoyed this book! I am in the construction field and I am a huge admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. I appreciated Pavels insights and his comparison of FLWs work to psychology. Also, the author has a great sense of humor and weaves it into this book. Certainly a great read. You will enjoy it!

Not much here that is worthwhile.