Customer Reviews

The Fountains of Bellagio

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This book is the closest you can come to the "real thing" without really being there. With a true insight to the make-up of The Fountains of Bellagio, the book provides the intimate details to this magnificent artistic production. The photos in the book (most of which are color) are stunning and highlight the parts we like the best in the show. The detailed information, along with the trivia makes us feel like we are privy to the inner workings of something incredible. Nothing can compare to the emotion we feel viewing the actual fountains, but this is a great second!

There are fountain geeks in the world, those who are impressed by the ages-old attempts of mankind to harness this amazing substance that has been regarded as an element by many cultures. The fountains of Bellagio raised the bar for the potential of water as an art form to a level heretofore unknown. It's unfortunate the authors of this book didn't trust readers enough to appreciate the underlying technological efforts that went into answering the question "Is this vision possible?" with a resounding "Yes!".

Nice photos, basic narration, but not enough. If you are a gearhead, the superficial treatment this book provides regarding the amazing technologies underlying the Bellagio fountains will be a disappointment. The stories of the various technological challenges overcome by Fuller and crew on the way to the most advanced fountain in the world are few or nonexistent in the book. It's unfortunate, given the amount of groundbreaking engineering that went into this system. You'll want to glean the details from engineering magazines, not from this book, so don't expect it to express to your family and friends "But look what they overcame, look what they DID!" with this marvel of hydrology.