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

An exuberant work of popular history exploring how something as seemingly mundane as an address can shape lives, power, and society. Deirdre Mask investigates why street names matter, how addresses express identity, class and race, and what they reveal about who is counted. From ancient Rome to modern cities, and from cholera outbreaks to tax-revenue systems, the book shows how the act of naming, locating, and assigning addresses influences health, wealth, technology, politics, and daily life. It looks at streets named after figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Sands and asks what happens when someone has no address at all. The narrative invites readers to see urban space as a record of power—who gets to name, who is hidden, and who counts.

Starting with a simple question—what do street addresses do?—the author travels worldwide and through time to trace how we describe where we live and what that says about us. The work surveys how addresses are created, celebrated, or banned, and how this shapes our cities and societies.

• Explores how addresses reflect identity, class, and race
• Includes examples from Rome, Tokyo, Kolkata, and Tehran
• Connects street naming to health, wealth, and brain function
• Examines power: naming, hiding, and counting people
• Highlights both usage and absence of addresses
• Shows how addresses influence culture and technology

Gebruikssectie

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