I was looking to flesh out my understanding of brutalism. This book is very intellectual and starts off strong with some plausible linkages between what brutalism is and what it means when applied to Achille Mbembe's world view. Unfortunately it devolves into an irrelevant polemic summarized as "Africa was brutalized." He also makes wild statements like "so-called illegal immigrants... are actually adventurers." Nice vocabulary and structure--I'm glad I can still comprehend writing at this level. But best saved for a snooty book club.