(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes") This is the companion book to the 26-hour TV series, but it isn't a blow-by-blow account of the same. Even though the author claims that his book "fills in the gaps" of the video series, you could probably read it far less time than it would take to watch the series! "The World at War" is a terrific example of the KISS (Keep it simple, stupid!) principle of historical analysis: It's short, sweet, and to the point, and doesn't require you to slog through pages of details and minutia to get to the heart of things. The writing itself is concise, direct, and a wonder to behold. Even if you aren't interested in WWII (but you probably are, since you're reading this!) Mark Arnold-Forster's book is a must read! For more recommendations on books about WWII, visit the motherflieshurricanes.com website.

This book is a must for Gehry-fan. Whilst I don't rever him like a God but I do admire his enormous talent & his willingness to experiment with materials in constructing buildings & furniture. In this book, you would get the feel that he's not merely an architect but also an artist. In other words, functionality & aesthetics blend harmoniously together. I particularly enjoy the latter part of the book where it displayed more of his famous works such as the Vitra office, Guggenheim Museum, etc. The first illustrations of his works are something that I can do without because they are works that any draughtsperson could produce. I suppose this book is a bibliography & therefore, it's essential for the readers to know of his humble beginning to understand his eventual greatness. Besides, with his new fame, abundant resources in the form of budget, technology, assistant staff also come in very handy as well. The book does omit the kettle project that Frank worked with Alessi, though. I'm looking forward to savour the 2nd edition of the book, if there's any.

essential reading for all us gehry-freaks...well, i guess it is. i haven't been able to concentrate on the text just yet. the photographs keep distracting me from my attempts at a disciplined study of the works. but who cares, right? if you are devoted to frank gehry you MUST have this book on your shelf. open the covers of this book and become familiar with a genius. in a world dominated by boyzone, mcdonald's, and teletubbies it is a relief to know that the mechanics of the human mind can achieve so much more. frank gehry is a true inspiration for all of mankind. break out of the box and find out what frank is trying to say.

i did not have a good impression of gehry until i got this book. i got it because i had to know what this guy is thinking when he comes up with what i thought was "ugly" stuff (i now feel ashamed to admit that). now i see the beauty of his work.
my eyes have been opened. i now have a greater respect for what he is doing.
the photography is amazing...the book provides sketches and insight into what gehry is trying to do.
must have for architectural students/interns

Simply the most unrealistic book I've ever read. Fairy tales have more chance of coming true than any of these three short stories! Situations like those just don't occur in nature. Good fiction at least gives you a HOPE that something like it could happen in real life. Trust me, I've never heard of a man with the name "Rio."