Customer Reviews

Skyscrapers

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have the 1996 hardcover edition of this book and do not know what revisions have been made to this latest addition, however I imagine the text and content will be very similar.
I have found this book to be an excellent source of information on skyscapers in general and the buildings featured in particular.
It has a very easy to read format, witch follows the developement of the skyscraper, with two pages at a time dedicated to one building. This makes it ideal for flicking through and just reading here and there at what ever catches your eye. There are also small gerneral interest and overviews pages troughout the book that help to explain the developement of these buildings.
Not a lot of technical details also make this an easy read and ideal for younger readers.
This is one of the best books I have seen on the subject and I have no reservations recomending this book to anyone even remotely interested in these large buildings.

When I first saw this book, I knew that it had to be on my Christmas "wish list." Upon receiving it, my excitement knew no bounds for this is an exquisitely produced homage to the skyscrapers of the past, present, and future. All the famous are here, from the cover featuring the oft-photographed Chrysler Building in New York to The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to The IBM Tower of San Francisco. Included are many less known mammoth structures from foreign lands, such as Malaysia's Petronas Towers, touted presently as the tallest of all, and the uniquely designed Bank of China in Hong Kong.

When one says, "The sky is the limit," the pages of this book showcase the adage perfectly.

By Jeffrey K. Herzer -- The jacket notes accurately describe the author's work as exploring "the interaction of text and image on the printed page". This book is wonderfully presented, a collage of big pictures and little treasures -- like under construction photos, sketches and diagrams, or other "trivia bits". You will find some new and precious treat every time you crack the cover. "Skyscrapers" is primarily a history of fifty important and world-famous skyscrapers, beginning with the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower & finishing with the Petronas Towers (Malaysia), the Jin Mao Building (Shanghai), and the planned Kuningan Persada Tower (Jakarta, Indonesia). A book about tall buildings should have tall pages...and this book is 18 inches tall and 7-1/2 inches wide. The format is entirely black & white, but most enjoyable. Ms. Dupre's text is short and direct and a perfect complement; it illuminates without getting bogged down in technicalities. Whether you're a skyscraper fanatic, an architect or engineer, or just plain fascinated with tall buildings, it matters not...this is a book everyone can enjoy.

Its black and white photography is amazing! And it covers all the famous skyskrapers such as the Sears tower and the Petronas towers. It has amazing facts with great details about the building and its history. It tells from what its made of to the architects who made them. It even tells several interesting facts. It is fun to read or even just to look at

I've always been a great fan of skyscrapers. Eventually I started my own website and joined a few forums where other skyscraper lovers meet. My dad bought me this book and I love it. You can tell just by looking at my near destroyed copy of it. :D. It sits near my chair covered in coffee stains and filthy for how much I've read it!
One thing did get me. I'm from Melbourne Australia and the writer takes a bit of a shot at Melbournes Rialto Towers. I was annoyed at first, I love our tallest skyscraper, but then I realised Judith Dupre was right. Rialto could have been built anywhere. I was just biased towards my home tower.
So yeah, great book. Opened my eyes alot to the buildings I see every day and my perception of them

(The following review is dedicated to the brave men and women who lost their lives on 9/11/01.)

At first glance, the aptly titled "Skyscapers" pictorial has the guise of a tall building. With an impeccable presentation, the book faithfully maintains the original context of each building represented with beautiful black & white photos. It gives the reader a nuts-and-bolts perspective: Judith Dupre, et al, along with the enigmatic architect, Philip Johnson, the unparalled book takes the reader on an incredible journey. From the pioneering Reliance Building in Chicago to the defunct World Trade Center in New York City, from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco to the Ulm Cathedral in Germany--it never ceases to amaze me, the enormous contributions these towering marvels have made in our behalf. They're magnificent places where people gather to work and make an honest living. And, they're magnificent places where people gather to worship and reflect upon life's mere existance. All things considered, this book will inspire any aspiring architect to reach for the sky. At home, it proudly sits atop my desk. If you're an architectural buff, this is the book for you.

My wife was in Chicago recently for a quilt show, and she picked up a book for me while she was there. It's called Skyscrapers by Judith Dupre, and it's an interesting coffee table book.

To start with, the size of the book is unique. To emphasize the "tallness" of the subject matter, the book measures 18 inches by 8 inches. It definitely doesn't fit on a bookshelf too well. Each two page combination in the book examines one of the world's tallest or most unique skyscrapers. The photography is well done, and the description and history of the buildings is often interesting. If you're an architect or someone who appreciates the art of structures, you'll think this book is wonderful. The only fault I can find with it (and it's more me than the book) is that the author tends to wax lyrical about artistic details and concepts that sometimes go a bit overboard. I guess I'm not "in touch" with my inner self... I found myself thinking "It's a building! Get over it!" more than once.

This is a lovely introduction to the architectural splendor that skyscrapers are, with detailed looks at 50 of these wonders. Sampling so few and the fact that the photographs are in black & white might make you want to look elsewhere. Wait. This book does not disappoint. It's not just about the architectural facts of these buildings (although that is done very tidily in little fact sheets). There is much more. Starting with an interview with Philip Johnson (wise old man of Amercian Architects) the author then delves into the sociological, cultural, physical and even the psychological reasons and motivations for this continuous stretching upward of our built environment.

After discussing 50 structures in detail, Dupre close with a list of the '100 Tallest Buildings in the World', providing part of the answer as to why we continue to strive upward. Developing countries, growing economically and feeling their strength have naturally enough sought to express this on their landscape and it is therefore no surprise to learn that a large number of the tallest buildings in the world are just that...outside the US and in the world.

I thought this book was Very interesting and can teach you alot about famous buildings of the world. The only bad part of the book is storage! The book holds many very interesting facts.

I love skyscrapers, reading about skyscrapers. This book is great. It has many of the great skyscrapers throughout the world. I would definitely recommend this book who is interested in skyscrapers and information on how and/or why they were built. It also includes many great pictures. Everyone in fact.