# The Autobiography of an Idea — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Autobiography of an Idea by Louis H. Sullivan.

- [I: The Child](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/i-the-child.md): This chapter introduces the early life of Louis Sullivan, from his birth in Boston in 1856 through his early childhood experiences. It describes his sensitive, imaginative nature, his deep connection to his mother, and f
- [Folly Cove](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/folly-cove.md): The Sullivan family spends the summer at a farm on Cape Ann, where the child experiences a series of formative events: falling into an uncovered well and being rescued by a hired man, accidentally dropping a bucket into 
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/ii.md): The chapter details Louis Sullivan's early school experiences, his struggle with the abstract curriculum, and his preference for concrete, human-centered learning. It also recounts a vivid scene where a child (Louis) thr
- [III: And Then Came Spring!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/iii-and-then-came-spring.md): The chapter describes the child's awakening to the natural world as winter melts into spring on the farm. He explores rivulets, mud, and the first signs of growth, culminating in the ecstatic bloom of orchards. His joy c
- [A Vacation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/iv-a-vacation.md): Louis Sullivan, feeling imprisoned by school, decides to run away to a wooded ravine he had previously discovered with Grandpa. He builds a dam there, experiences the joy of creating and destroying it, and spends a month

> 12 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se_358kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [V: Newburyport](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/v-newburyport.md)
- [Boston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/vi-boston.md)
- [VII: Boston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/vii-boston.md)
- [Louis Goeth on a Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/viii-louis-goeth-on-a-journey.md)
- [IX: Boston—The English High School](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/ix-boston-the-english-high-school.md)
- [X: Farewell to Boston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/x-farewell-to-boston.md)
- [XI: Chicago](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/xi-chicago.md)
- [Paris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/xii-paris.md)
- [XIII: The Garden City](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/xiii-the-garden-city.md)
- [Face to Face](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/xiv-face-to-face.md)
- [Retrospect](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/xv-retrospect.md)
- [Retrospect](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters/retrospect.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_autobiography_of_an_idea_se/chapters