I finished reading Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century by Simon Kuper who is also a columnist in FT, host of a podcast Heroes and Humans of Football, and author of other books few of which are already in my reading list.
It is an engaging book. I have not been to Paris - except during transit - but it is a city I would like to visit. Thanks to Netflix tv series such as Call My Agent and Lupin, and having read Simon Kuper's earlier articles, this book was long on my reading list.
This book establishes why Paris is the centre of France and how that centre is expanding - both geographically as well as metaphorically. Simon moved to France sometime in his adulthood having lived in different countries and therefore brings an outsider's and comparative perspective. Book is divided into different chapters each dealing with one topic and all the topic taken together presents a picture of Paris which is rooted in its century old customs but also trying to grow. As a columnist for FT, he - I assume - has access to the people and places and he takes us to different types of people from other migrants to homeless to politicians and places within the Paris as well as at the periphery or suburbs. I recommend this book to any one having interest in the city and exploration of the city beyond usual tourist things.