How to Read New York: A Crash Course in Big Apple Architecture

Great book. Good gift idea.

It's a great little resource, an indicator of what needs to be seen in New York City and why. It's not architecturally comprehensive.

Nice informational book.

This is a beautifully laid out catalog of New York City's architecture.Arranged by style it has a photo (most of the main façade, some are aerials), location, date of construction and architect for each structure profiled. Most structures are buildings, but there are bridges, "The" statue, a parachute jump, a park, a monument, an 8 lane thoroughfare, an elevated railroad and a zoo. There is a paragraph about the structure describing function, significance, or place and line drawings of significant details. At the end of each topical chapter is a map with a pictorial legend clearly showing location.The selection worked for me. It includes all my favorites (Chrysler, the Flatiron, the Whitney, the NYPL, MoMA). There is info on some structures that had me curious like the Arthur Kill Bridge, the Edward Durrell Stone House and Co-op City.It has a beautiful layout. With the exception of each chapter's introductory page on grey (hard to read), the layout and organization work for the reader.The book is meaty, but it is not a course. It works best as a catalog or survey, a guide or a reference book.

The How to Read series is a great little set of books. They are small but packed full of information and will quite happily sit in your pocket or bag. Great if you want to carry it whilst visiting New York and looking at the different types of architectural detail which surrounds you.They are set out is architectural style so for example colonial, greek, classical, modern. There are no color images inside but back and white/monochrome. You get examples of the style and and then certain buildings are used to show how they fit within a certain architectural genre. You also get a little big of background history to the building, they pick an iconic building and break it down to explain what the architect was trying to achieve, so in the modern chapter they use the Seagram Building which set the standard for modern skyscrapers.This is a great little book to dip into, however it is not a textbook on architecture more a beginners introduction.

Like the previous books in the `How to Read `series, this short, easily portable work presents its topic in clear, well organized fashion. In fact, buildings grouped not by date of construction per se but rather by general style: Classical and Colonial, Renaissance, Decorative Styles, Modern, etc.Much emphasis is placed on illustrations, all monochrome. Contrary to other books in the collection, however, photos are included, often artistic, frequently vintage and always black and white.Though unpretentious in appearance, this book certainly results from very substantial research. It is rigorous and includes location maps, a glossary, a list of prominent architects and their works, additional resources both printed and on the web and of course an index.Those who know little of New York will gain much from it and those who do know the city will want to discuss why such a building was included or excluded.

The book is a pretty small paperback. I guess I expected it to have more substance.

I brought this book for my grandson who is going to visit New York with his father to look at the buildings as he wants to be an architect. It is very well composed and has maps of where the buildings are as well as many interesting details about each one. They are going there in February so I know he is enjoying reading it now and also taking it with him as he goes around the city.

great read

A lovely primer on buildings of interest

a good book if you like buildings