Summary of Matthew Soules's Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra-Thin EPUB

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Architecture and capitalism have always been linked, but the ascent of finance capitalism since 1980 has uniquely implicated architecture because built space is a preferred operating medium of finance.

#2 The FIRE economy is the term used to describe the economic ecology connecting landowners, banks, insurance companies, mortgage brokers, investment brokers, real estate developers, and so on. The role that real estate plays in finance capitalism is as integral and longstanding as finance capitalism is to capitalism itself.

#3 One of the keys to understanding the important role that real estate plays in finance capitalism is the relationship between rent and fictitious capital. When land is traded, it becomes a special type of commodity that can secure a stream of rent for the owner.

#4 Housing is a critical aspect of finance capitalism, as it is the primary way individuals and households are financialized. The rise of housing prices and debt has been increasing globally since the 1980s.