Wonders of the World

by Francesco Boccia

This volume presents a selection of humanity's most remarkable works in the immense and marvelous field of design and construction. The majestic pyramids and temples of Egypt, great monuments of the Greek and Roman worlds, gems of European medieval and Renaissance architecture, extraordinary works built by Mesoamerican and Oriental civilization, and astonishing structures designed by acclaimed contemporary masters are just a few of the works showcased in this exploration of the history of architectural creativity. The book embarks on a long and complex journey that uses words and images, commentaries and photographs, as fundamental tools to help readers grasp the essence and grandeur of these masterpieces. As detailed, careful and evocative as any account may be, no simple description of the structures, surfaces, materials and colors of these architectural works can convey their full complexity. By the same token, photographs alone-without explanatory texts or a brief overview of the vision behind these works-cannot do them justice. Words and images are essential and inseparable elements in bringing to life a work of architecture and, on a more general level, in the difficult art of creating communication. The unity and relationship of these forms of conveying thought and visible reality have the ability to inspire us - and that is the intention of this book.

Genres: Reference, History, Nonfiction, Art, Travel

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mason V · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about the wonders of the world like the Stonehenge and colosseum. These wonders were built along time by things we don't know about. We know when the colosseum was built and by who but the Stonehenge is random and nobody knows when or how it was built. I like this book because i love the history genre so if you also enjoy history this book is for you.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely coffee table book featuring photographs of architecture starting with the pyramids in Egypt and ending with the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

Great for some vicarious sight-seeing. Each structure gets a page of introduction and all of the photographs have captions which are worth a quick read.

[Amy]

Nothing special about this book; the text has a lot of typos but photographs are decent. I have visited a third of the places mentioned, and I can agree with the architectural selections for the most part.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures of some incredible places in the world. It helped me add to my bucket list of places to see. Nice coffee table book.