Customer Reviews

Everything by Design: My Life as an Architect

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This is a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating book. It never got boring! Loved the scenes with the "rich and famous," and I would like to see the author publish Volume 2 - I am sure there are many more interesting stories that he did not have room for here.

You know the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." Don't believe it. The cover of this memoir is just the icing. As an artist with architectural leanings, I have always wondered about the field. And I had known struggling architects and knew the importance of The Fountainbleau to this country, from "Goldfinger" fame to its Sinatra/Nelson Eddy glamour. So, it was a delight to find out much more. Nearly abandoning the book early on, bogged down with the early oedipal struggles of the lad,Alan Lapidus, I soldiered on. Other vistas unfolded enormously.This man can really write. His pen is funny and astute throughout. You learn about the trials and tribulations of architects, but Alan managed here to climb from under and beneath the weight of his equally-gifted father, Morris Lapidus, to quickly establish himself among the New York lights of Trump and other moneyed developers. It only saddens me slightly, to see creative giants like him downsized, living in relative obscurity, while their realized creative efforts tower in magnificence, get traded or renovated, with all the lustre going to the hotel chain, etc. While you read and absorb the realities of architects/developers, you eventually find yourself here seeing life as we knew it pass before your eyes, leading to the sobriety of 9/11. There are comparisons to Howard Ruark (Atlas Shrugged)even if Alan would dismiss them. After all,unlike the rest of us, he was able to collaborate with the developers(employers)and retire with his integrity intact. He doesn't voice it but Alan seems to say, many times,that in our society, a Phideas, could do no better than he,go about largely unrecognized while the Paris Hiltons parade themselves in money downpours. Of course, any artist will own, you never do it for the money. A wonderful read.

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I've been in construction for many decades and am always on the lookout for books that describe how things really are for those of who live with developers, architects and all the really interesting people in this industry. Without a doubt, Everything by Design is one of the best I've read in years. Mr Lapidus is right on in his descriptions of how it is with clients and contractors, and he tells his stories in a very entertaining way. If you're in this business and understand the way things work, you can can just sit back and enjoy the trip along with him. But even if you don't understand the details of building things, he brings the characters he meets to life in a very real way. Overall, this story of his career is a fine way to spend an evening or two enjoying a really good read.

I was very excited about this book. The concept of combining architecture with the inside "scoop" of those who commission and build grand buildings is right up my alley. The author though is so narcissistic, I had to force myself through the first three chapters and finally put the book away for good. He misses no opportunity to talk about how fantastic he is and how many famous people he knows (and how fantastic they think he is). Some authors can communicate the fame and prestige in subtle, interesting and/or charming ways. Not so, Mr. Lapidus. His style is awkward and uncomfortables to read, reminiscent of an insecure 14-year-old boy persistently mentioning all the great things about himself that he wishes people knew.

This is a fantastic book. It's informative and a riot. Believe me you will never look at a building, a gambling casino, or a Disney offering the same way. You may even learn to love Donald Trump. You will certainly love Alan Lapidus. Kudos!!

Despite a few errors of fact, this is a fascinating story. It is written, for the most part, in language that is easy for lay persons to understand.
An interesting exercise is to read passages in Alan Lapidus' book alongside very different recollections of the same event or design in his father, Morris Lapidus' books.