[close] Like a well-designed building, Shaping a Nation is meticulously researched and structurally pleasing. In a little less than 400 pages, author and respected architectural journalist Carter Wiseman examines the major architectural movements of the last century, including industrialization, modernism, and even 1990s computer-aided design. What makes this book more than just an encyclopedia of events is Wiseman's ability to contextualize architecture within the philosophical and intellectual thinking of the time, to paint a broad picture of how culture shaped architecture. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Pop-chic artist extraordinaire Robert Venturi, Wiseman spotlights 200 architects and their works. Although traditionally this is a scholarly subject, Wiseman writes with a dash of humor and boundless enthusiasm, qualities sure to appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in architecture. The huge wealth of information makes Shaping a Nation a superb reference for established architects and critics.