Henry Adams gets at the life of an entire age by way of examining two buildings, which, if you think about it, is quite an accomplishment. Having read it decades ago, I still find myself wondering now and then what constitutes a Mont-Saint-Michel or Chartres for our age. My current inclination is to regard celebrities as the creation of our time that speaks best for our beliefs and aspirations (and no compliment does that do us), but the thought pales in comparison to what Adams achieves here.