Building on the extensive research and impact of its predecessor, Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston, this volume re-examines the complicated legacy of Brutalism through a contemporary lens. The collection brings together archival interviews with the original protagonists of Boston’s concrete era—including Henry N. Cobb, Araldo Cossutta, and Michael McKinnell—to recover the optimism and "urban ideals" that drove the city’s midcentury transformation. By framing these structures as "Heroic" rather than "Brutal," the authors argue that these buildings were not designed with the "bad intentions" their popular reputation suggests, but were instead powerful, ethical monuments to a civic-minded era that embraced the future wholeheartedly.

While celebrating the architectural power of these landmarks, Post-Heroic also serves as an urgent "eulogy" and advocacy tool for a built heritage currently under siege. Through haunting photography of demolitions and transcripts from public debates, the book explores the "vicious cycle" of active neglect and vilification that threatens to erase an entire epoch of architecture. It navigates what the authors call the "ugly valley"—the precarious period when a building is no longer new but not yet widely valued as historic—to make a compelling case for sensitive modifications and reuse over destruction. Ultimately, the book challenges us to look beyond simplistic labels of "pretty" or "ugly" to appreciate the spectacular imagination and durability of America’s concrete heritage before it is lost forever.