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After seeing pictures of buildings by the unusual French architect LeCorbusier, young Frank Gehry realized that it was possible to break away fromthe square box of most buildings. "That's when I threw the grid away, and said,'Man, there's another freedom out there, and that's the place I want to be.'" Asanyone who has ever seen the Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain,or the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington, will quickly realize,Gehry has never looked back. Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, coauthors of Chuck Close Up Close and The American Eye, among otheracclaimed titles, take a look at a most remarkable architect and his work.Frank O. Gehry: Outside In is filled with provocative quotations fromGehry, which are pulled out and repeated in large, colorful type: "Life ischaotic, dangerous, and surprising. Buildings should reflect it." "I workintuitively. I just jump in and learn to swim later." The text is scintillatingand informative, with side boxes giving tips on how to view buildings from anarchitectural point of view. There are also photographs, lots of them, ofGehry's fantastic projects, from cardboard furniture to the "Fred and Ginger"building in Prague, to fish-shaped lamps; as well as his incredibly scrawlysketches. Movement and energy are at the core of every Frank O. Gehry design;this book reflects his vigor and, happily, may inspire a new generation ofrule-benders. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Book for Target Audience
As a graduate of Loyola Law I've had the opportunity to view his work up close and personal and truly enjoyed being a part of it. The campus continues to evolve and its development was exciting to witness. This book does indeed showcase and highlight most of his important works and ideas. Also, will shed some interesting light on his background and those experiences that continue to influence him.

One thing I would mention to readers (or those, like myself, that do not read the publishing information so clearly prior to purchase). Though I bought this book on the strength of the New York Times Book Review and have no regrets, it is quite short and takes the form of an oversized glossy magazine or children's book. In fact, the language is written with a younger audience target in mind. Though a great introduction to Gehry, it is not an full in-depth critical review of his work. Additionally, the "DK" logo figures prominently on the front cover giving it even more of a "young adult" feel. This may disappoint some of those readers who are looking for a more academic critical analysis of his work and buy this with that objective in mind. That being said, it is a nice package and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Outside IN
I bought this book for several friends after reading Paul Goldberger's rave review in the New York Times. Actually, everyone agrees that Goldberger was not enthusiastic enough. It is the best introduction to architecture I've ever read--and I grew up amidst the work of Marcel Breuer, Philip Johnson, Eliot Noyes et al. Young people really do go into the book. It is also an outstanding summary of the subject--for young and old alike. A read-aloud book that takes your eyes out of their sockets. I can't recommend it more highly for children of all ages!

Master Architect - Great Book
Frank O. Gehry is a marvelous innovative architect. As a children's librarian, I am pleased to find such a good work on a contemporary architect. With many full color photographs, young people and adults will be drawn into Gehry's world. A brief history of his life and his early efforts in architecture give way to a tantalizing look at his recent project, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain. This is a must for introducing young people to architecture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An introduction to the life and art of Claude Monet
This Famous Artist book by Antony Mason serves as an introduction to the life and work of Claude Monet.These books are organized in a particular way for each two-page spread: On the left page there is an illustration of the artist's home or environment and the story of the artist's life, along with a painting and a small symbol used to indicate the size of the paintings relative to a person.On the right page there are more paintings (usually with a key section enlarged) with text about the artist's work at the time, along with a feature on the artist's technique (e.g., perspective, using color, painting water) with practical projects to try.

Of the several books look at the life and art of Monet this particular volume probably has the best balance between the two.However, if you are looking for a more detailed treatment of Monet's impressionist techniques you can check out the books by Mike Venezia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.This book will certainly give you the basics and in the back you will find a brief history of art that puts the Impressionist movement in perspective and a list of museums and galleries at which you can see examples of Monet's work.Other titles in the Famous Artists series look at Cezanne, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso and Van Gogh. ... Read more

Book Description

Created by Steve Noon, illustrator of the award-winning A Street Through Time, this stunning picture book vividly brings to life the history and growth of a city. Beginning with the birth of a fictional Greek colony and ending with a modern metropolis, A City Through Time is a captivating journey through 2,500 years. ... Read more

Book Description

David Macaulay takes us on a visual journey through a city's various support systems by exposing a typical section of the underground network and explaining how it works. We see a network of walls, columns, cables, pipes and tunnels required to satisfy the basic needs of a city's inhabitants. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

anatomy of an infrastructure
This book ranks as one of Macaulay's best, as it reveals the networks of systems that are the lifeblood of a city, from various building foundations to sewers to subways, showing how they are constructed and sometimes interact with each other. The text, though minimal, is packed with information, which is supplemented by the superb and detailed drawings. One of the coolest aspects of the book, though, is the views from below, as if a rat with x-ray vision were able to gaze up at this intricate maze of technological wonders. Macaulay's sense of humor is evident throughout, as seen by his inclusion of various critters (including an alligator and an elephant), lots of references to dogs and fire hydrants, a billboard ad for his book PYRAMID, and even a human skull and hand (!!) in one drawing of an excavation. Great fun to read and highly recommended.

"What are those round metal things in the street?"
What Mr. Macaulay does is pull up a city by the roots, shake the dirt off, and take a no-nonsense (well, maybe a little nonsense) look at what is revealed. The illustrations are clear and informative, with just a touch of whimsy. The book covers sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water lines, electricity, telephone, subways and building foundations. A gift for aspiring civil engineers of all ages!

Great Work!
David Macauley's work has just gotten better thru the years ...but even his early books like underground are wonderful! I received this book as a child & I'm now ordering it as a gift. ... Read more

Book Description

Step inside a medieval castle and discover for yourself what it was like to live and work inside its massive walls. Superb illustrations and thoroughly researched information provide a vivid and intimate look at every aspect of castle life. You will see the craftsmen and builders at work, witness a great dinner in the main hall, learn about the life of the lord and lady, learn how a page became a knight, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Basic information on the life and times in a medieval castle
I finished reading Michael Crichton's "Timeline" recently, a novel which involves not only archeologists and historians trying to reconstruct a medieval castle but going back in time to engage in high adventure. Consequently I have been checking out several books like "A Medieval Castle" from the Inside Story series. Written by Fiona MacDonald and illustrated by Mark Bergin, this book shows how these castles were built and how they functioned. Young readers will learn some of the fundamentals of castle design as well as the sorts of people who lived within its walls.

Actually, this book looks at more than just castles in presenting details about medieval life. We learn about the community surrounding the castle, village fairs, and the function of religion. Of course lots of emphasis is place on the reasons castles were needed, such as how you became a knight and how fighting men laid siege to castles. "A Medieval Castle" provides lot of basic information, which should prove useful to young students researching the Medieval period. MacDonald often refers to specific events and people from history while Bergin fills his drawings with interesting details, if you take the time to look for them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very informative! Great for budding architects!
This book has black and white, and red pictures of different shapes and structures as well as alot of personal history of Frank Lloyd Wright. It also has games, activities and recipes. Fascinating for our next generation of architects! ... Read more

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A fun book
I've been reading this book to my son since he was about 9 months. It's a great alternative to some of the more conventional books about animals. The rhymes are pleasant and encourages participation by the child as he learns to talk. ... Read more

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Excellent resource for stimulating creativity in design
""Why Design? is an excellent resource for design professionals who are educating others on the design process and/or for stimulating creativity while in the process ofdesigning just about anything ... Read more

Book Description

This book explores the story of architecture from prehistoric pile dwellings to the Millennium Dome. It shows how the buildings of each historical period and culture are an expression of the spirit of their time, and how styles of architecture result from the materials that are available and the techniques that are understood. Representative buildings of each period are studied in fine, detailed illustrations: for example, Stonehenge, the Parthenon, the Colosseum, Chartres Cathedral, the Rialto Bridge, Versailles, the University of Virginia, the Crystal Palace, the Flatiron Building, the Sydney Opera House, and the converted Gare d'Orsay. The pyramids of Giza, Hindu temples in Khajuraho, the Badshahi mosque in Lahore, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, a Japanese imperial villa, and the Chinese emperor's Forbidden City are the focus of chapters on the architecture of other cultures.

Book Description

This fictional account of the dismantling and removal of the Empire State Building describes the structure of a skyscraper and explains how such an edifice would be demolished. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

There are Better Choices
It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but somewhere between conception and execution Unbuilding unraveled. The drawings are, without a doubt, spectacular. The story is clever, but the love of the subject matter is missing. The story, at its most basic, is about the disassembly of the Empire State Building. The details of its existence, however, are nowhere to be found. There is, for example, no information on how many tons of steel were used; how many thousands of rivets. Missing too, are any explanations of mechanical systems such as how water was pumped to bathrooms one thousand feet off the ground, or how the elevators safely and efficiently carried their passengers up 85 stories.

My suspicion is that Unbuilding's weakness lies at its foundation. Organized disassembly just isn't as interesting as a construction project. To be fair to Mr. Macaulay, it's not a bad book. Certainly, if this were the first of his work that you had seen, you would be suitably impressed. But in the context of his efforts prior to and after this one, it fails to captivate. My advice is that, if you are collecting the series, you'll most certainly want Unbuilding. If, however, you are new to Macaulay's work, Castle, Cathedral, City and Mill are significantly better choices.

Read this now.
This is a highly unlikely story. But it is rich with detail, and the author's drawings are, as usual, incredible. The ending is the also a delight. This is one you will buy for your kids but keep for yourself ... Read more

Book Description

Climb inside the mysterious tombs of the Ancient Egyptians and discover what the Mayans sacrificed on their alters inside the chambers of the oldest buildings in the world.

Offering a unique introduction to nature through powerful visuals, the Eye Wonder reference series was developed for children ready for first books about the natural world. Full-color photography is paired with clearly written text to build a foundation for advanced exploration, helping show children a stunning new view of the world. ... Read more

Book Description

"It so happens that the work which is likely to be our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is a work of bare utility; not a shrine, not a fortress, but a bridge."

So wrote one architectural critic of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the grandest and most eloquent monuments to the American spirit that our country has produced. Its magnificent site, breathtaking span, cutting-edge technology, and sheer beauty have made it the subject of poems, paintings, photographs, novels, plays, and movies.

Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge's triumphant arches lie astonishing tales of death, deception, genius, and daring. Over the fourteen-year course of its construction, there were many deaths, including that of John A. Roebling, designer and chief engineer; an underwater fire; and even fraud.

Finally, though, the bridge was finished, and as part of the opening day festivities, the president, and two mayors crossed it.

In this stunning visual history, Lynn Curlee tells the fascinating story of the history and construction of the "Eighth Wonder of the World." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Tribute to the "Eighth Wonder of the World"
"It's magnificent site, monumental twin towers, breathtaking span, cutting-edge technology, and sheer beauty make Brooklyn Bridge the grandest, and perhaps the most important, structure built in America during the nineteenth century. To people at the time, it seemed almost miraculous. They called it the Eighth Wonder of the World." Lynn Curlee brings this sixteen year triumph of engineering and architectural design to life in his fascinating story of how the Brooklyn Bridge grew from an idea into a reality. His straightforward and engaging text is rich in history, drama, interesting fun facts, and anecdotes, and complemented by marvelously bold and creative illustrations. Youngsters will enjoy poring over the detailed and innovative diagrams, watching as the bridge is constructed right before their eyes. With additional information, statistics, a timeline and short bibliography included at the end, Brooklyn Bridge is non-fiction at its very best, and a captivating history lesson kids 9-12 shouldn't miss. ... Read more

Book Description

Any list of the world’s most beautiful and unusual cities must include Venice. Built on a patchwork of more than 100 low-lying islands in the middle of a swampy lagoon, it is a modern city of waterways, bus boats and a complete absence of cars. Everyone, from children, students and professionals to workers and delivery men, travels on its canals. Indeed, Venice is a city that in many ways seems frozen in time. By 1500, the city had taken on much of its present shape and only in the 20th century did further development begin to change its elegant outline. Virtually unscarred by the aerial bombings of WWII and the demands of post-war development, Venice has changed little over the past 200 years.

In this oversized, highly illustrated volume, discover the history and culture of this amazing water-bound city. Starting with its origins in the 6th century, the reader follows its evolution through the Middle Ages, the "Golden Age" of the Renaissance, right up to the present and the catastrophic problems of sinking that it faces today. Venice also invites the reader to explore the city’s canals teaming with gondolas and water taxis; its magnificent architecture and decaying facades; along with life in the Jewish Ghetto, the splendor of the annual Venice Carnival, and the diversity of the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Photographs and original illustrations capture the daily rhythms of this unforgettable city.
... Read more