Ancient wisdom
The curious title is fitting, as this is certainly a curiosity, albeit a thoroughly worthwhile read. It refers to the phenomenon whereby a frog, placed in water being heated, will rather than jumping out, alter its body temperature until it is eventually boiled alive. The author draws a parallel between this rather sad natural phenomenon and human beings’ misguided adaptation to worsening environmental conditions.
Saunders’ fascinating book manages to weave together the practical, human dangers arising from the ever-encroaching rise of technology and pollution, with “ancient wisdom”, to provide a clear and erudite map of the problems facing buildings of the 21st century, plus some esoteric solutions. He begins by attacking the scientific hegemony of the 20th century, a subject which touches on the problem for researchers into the effect of healthcare design on patients, namely scientific ‘provability’: “20th century Western culture has bred a scepticism of anything not scientifically proven.” It is important for readers to have some sympathy with this view if they are to allow Saunders to take them with him on a trip which encounters such exotic techniques as dowsing, magnetised water, the “music of the spheres”, and “sacred architecture.” Somehow however he manages to incorporate these elements in a very practical and down-to-earth manner. He also provides in-depth analyses of the effect of light, colour and noise, in sections which will prove useful reading for designers and facilities managers in healthcare.
While painting a gloomy picture of a suffering world, with modern hospitals one of the culprits singled out for attack, Saunders uses this critical situation (made more pointed by the explosion of SARS) to offer a wake-up call to those who can do something about it. There is much subjective conclusion here, but of course that is the author’s premise, that truths are subjective, not scientific.


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