Skyscrapers: Uncovering Technology (Uncovering series)
From the Tower of Babel to the Escher-esque CCTV Building planned for Beijing, this tour of big buildings flits around the world and through history with a kaleidoscopic mix of small, finely detailed artists' renditions and five-sentence-or-less text munchies. As part of the Uncovering series, it also features four mylar overlays that offer an inside look at a few towering structures. Snidely noting that many of the world's tallest buildings owe at least as much to big egos as to a need for office or living space, Oxlade frames his narrative with a chronicle of the still-ongoing efforts to, literally, top the competition. He also discusses advances in skyscraper design, various architectural styles, the Freedom Tower planned for Ground Zero, and, at the end, pie-in-the sky proposals for even taller buildings. Blending eye-catching visuals with specific facts and comparisons, this quick survey will please both browsers and assignment-driven readers.John PetersCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved