Taking an original photographic approach to look in detail at certain topics, these four fascinating books provide deeper understanding and richer enjoyment of the worlds of architecture, art, famous artists, and myths and legends. AUTHOR BIO: Neil Stevenson studied architecture at Newcastle University from 1979 to 1984. He has worked for Kenzo Tange in Tokyo and practiced in London.

Amazon.com
A work of art in itself, The Architecture Pack is a highly sophisticated version of the beloved pop-up book that offers a unique, cross-cultural, three-dimensional tour of architecture through the centuries. By flipping the elaborately engineered pages, we learn what architects do, how they do it, and all about the great buildings of the world from antiquity to the present. It's packed with information and hands-on activities, models, fold-outs, pop-ups, and 3-D glasses; readers can even fold out a miniature version of the Colosseum in Rome or a French Gothic cathedral. There are discussions on the development of the dome, new materials and shapes, sculptural buildings such as those of Gaudi and Le Corbusier , and skyscrapers. Also included in the pack are a model (with assembly instructions) of Gerrit Rietveld's famous, flat-roofed Schroeder House; a glossary of architectural terms; a fold-out time line of the history of architecture and architects that runs from 2670 B.C. to A.D. 1997; and a cassette tape. This wonderfully accessible introduction to architecture is sure to generate enthusiasm from both children and adults, simply because people can have fun with it.

The Architecture Pop-Up Book is a magnificent journey through history. Featuring amazing three-dimensional replications of famous buildings from ancient to modern times, the book showcases artwork, photographs, pop-ups and detailed text of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and Mesopotamian ziggurats; the great constructions of Greece and Rome, such as the Parthenon and the Colosseum; majestic Asian wonders, including the Taj Mahal and the Hagiá Sophiá; Gothic and Neoclassical masterpieces, from Notre Dame and the Florence Duomo to the Houses of Parliament and Monticello; and the work of such important modern architects as Gaudí, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Frank Gehry. From a brilliantly elaborate Gothic cathedral nave to a telescoping Chrysler Building skyscraper, the talent and imagination of architects and builders from all eras and from all over the world, are displayed and compared here. Innovative, informative, and entertaining, this gift book is a superb tour of the greatest achievements of world architecture and is the perfect gift for the architecture enthusiast and anyone interested in learning about the history of these celebrated buildings.

Students discover the basic principles necessary to build all types of structures used in everyday life including bridges, skyscrapers, and other architectural gems. Line art illustrations help to explain projects that demonstrate how these principles keep structures solid. Perfect for kids who wonder why, and love to figure things out! All projects are easily done with materials found around-the-house.

Why this shape and not that? Why steel instead of concrete or stone? Why put it here and not over there? These are the kinds of questions that David Macaulay asks himself when he observes an architectural wonder. These questions take him back to the basic process of design from which all structures begin, from the realization of a need for the structure to the struggles of the engineers and designers to map out and create the final construction. As only he can, David Macaulay engages readers' imaginations and gets them thinking about structures they see and use every day -- bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers, domes, and dams. In Building Big he focuses on the connections between the planning and design problems and the solutions that are finally reached. Whether a structure is imposing or inspiring, he shows us that common sense and logic play just as important a part in architecture as imagination and technology do. As always, Macaulay inspires readers of all ages to look at their world in a new way.

Put on your hard hat and step inside CONSTRUCTION ZONE! Young readers are invited to come on a virtual tour of a building in progress, led by award-winning photographer Richard Sobol. It takes hundreds of workers, thousands of trucks and machines, and millions of nails and bolts to transform an idea on paper into an actual building in which people will live, play, shop, or work. Every single piece of the construction puzzle — big and small — must fit together flawlessly. With a clear, direct narrative and handy definitions of construction-related jobs, machines, and terms, Cheryl Willis Hudson distills this most complex of projects into language a young child can grasp. The building itself — the Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank O. Gehry — is playful and colorful, sculpted to excite, delight, and surprise. Richard Sobol's vivid color photographs capture all the excitement of the busy construction site, while offering a close-up view of its breathtaking genius.

Here is an exciting and informative guide to structures in which we live, work, play and worship. Superb color photographs offer a unique "eyewitness" view of buildings from the ground up. See incredible stone gargoyles, where linenfold wood paneling is found, what a Japanese screen is made of and how a hammer-beam roof is supported. Learn how stained glass is made, the difference between hipped and gabled roofs, how medieval tiles were made, what pantiles are and how stonemasons dress and carve stone. Discover the recipe for limewash, what a leggett is, what the three Greek "orders" were, how towers are built and how houses are built on mountainsides, and much, much more!

This profusely illustrated work offers abundant insights into the early development of the skyscraper and the influence of two master builders who played key roles in its evolution. Rare photos, floor plans, and renderings document such influential structures as Sullivan' Wainwright Building in St. Louis, Wright' Larkin building in Buffalo and many others.

Following in the tradition he established with Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction and in the many books he has published in the thirty years since, David Macaulay provides explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. His work has earned numerous accolades, including a Caldecott Medal, two Caldecott Honors, and a MacArthur Grant, and many fans around the globe. With Mosque, he turns his talents toward the magnificent structures of the Ottoman Empire.

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture is a remarkable, on-of-a-kind compendium which uses a combination of textual definitions and hundreds of superb line drawings to illuminate a comprehensive body of essential terms in architecture, including important interrelationships between building components. Grouped by themes, such as history, systems, structures, forms, construction, environmental issues, and behavior, all terms have their visual complement and can be readily accessed in a number of different ways. A Visual Dictionary of Architecture is an authoritative source of information for anyone tracking down an elusive word, and a delight for simple armchair browsing!

Between a nomad's tent and the Sears Tower lies a revolution in technology, materials, and structures. Here is a clear and enthusiastic introduction to building methods from ancient times to the present day.