Some of the co-authors / contributors of A Pattern Language distilled the original >200 patterns to what they though were the 10 most essential in the book Patterns of Home: The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design:

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/885970.Patterns_of_Home

* http://www.architectureweek.com/topics/patterns.html

I have have been introduced to many of Alexander’s ideas through this series of lectures on architecture and urbanism by Nikos Salingaros [1]. Mind bending stuff.

[1] https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLre1SQJb-jSXex1MlLFlGrsRj...

I bought a hard-copy back when SW patterns came in vogue, just to have it. It's pretty interesting even though I know nothing about architecture.

My daughter goes to UO, where Alexander had a hand in applying some of his ideas. If you go to the campus today, though, it's overwhelmingly Uncle Phil who shapes the look and feel, sadly.

I feel like A Pattern Language is overrated standing on it's own. Too much people are extrapolating based on this book only instead of diving deeper into Christopher Alexander's other works. The patterns becomes a small thing in the mindset of working from a whole, piece by piece, and iterating with real world feedback instead of planning everything to the minute detail.

I return to this book every year or so but it hasn't aged well as an utopian text. Balkanization at the world, nation, and local levels isn't the slam dunk he seems to think it is.