In his extraordinary new book, Alain de Botton explores the importance of buildings in our lives, pondering our attachment to our homes and considering such questions as: Why do people disagree about taste? Can beautiful surroundings make us good? Not to mention: What makes a window frame attractive? Rooted in the idea that architecture has the power to influence how we feel and that we are different people in different buildings, The Beauty of Houses suggests how we might learn to build better, more attractive dwellings, in which we could stand a higher chance of happiness.

John Ruskin proposed that every good building must do two things: it must shelter us, but it must also speak to us. This book tackles the questions of architecture and interior design at a deserved level of philosophical depth, and takes us on a journey through Western and Eastern aesthetics.