Our World in Ten Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live

From “tomorrow’s greatest designer” (The Atlantic), a deeply researched “essential guide” (Chelsea Clinton) to how humankind designs its world and how those decisions shape us.

For the majority of the world, purposefully designed spaces are often only available for those who can afford them. But could it be possible for the spaces we spend most of our lives in—our offices, our schools, our hospitals—to be designed for our everyday needs and communities as well as the wants of capital? Climate catastrophes push us to the brink, pandemics have disrupted how we live and work, and there’s an urgent need to build spaces that can adapt and accommodate a lived experience changing faster than ever each day. So why aren’t we shifting the way we design, and what can we do to change that?

“Visionary architect” (Danielle Allen, author of Our Declaration) Michael Murphy aims to reframe what the built environment can do for our lives and our world. With insight and passion, he braids the history of architecture with his own revolutionary work to provide an accessible guide on what it will take to revolutionize our homes, minds, workplaces, safety, and health care. Profound, accessible, and groundbreaking, Our World in Ten Buildings will demystify architectural design, change the way you look at the spaces around you, and introduce a new way of thinking about how we interact with the people and world around us.

© 2026 Simon & Schuster Audio (Audiobook): 9781668100578

Release date

Audiobook: April 21, 2026