Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Architecture
Invisible Cities
by Italo Calvino
A fantastical exploration of the cities of the imagination and the possibilities of life.
"Kublai Khan does not necessarily believe everything Marco Polo says when he describes the cities visited on his expeditions, but the emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young ... (Goodreads)
Here Is New York
by E.B. White
A love letter to New York City, capturing its essence and spirit through the eyes of a perceptive observer.
Perceptive, funny, and nostalgic, E.B. White's stroll around Manhattan remains the quintessential love letter to the city, written by one of America's foremost literary figures. The New York Times ... (Goodreads)
The Architect's Apprentice
by Elif Shafak
A young boy becomes the apprentice of the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire, and navigates through love, war, and the construction of Istanbul's most iconic buildings.
From the acclaimed author of, The Bastard of Istanbul, a colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire In her latest novel, Elif Shafak spins an epic tale spanning nearly a ... (Goodreads)
The Story of Art
by E.H. Gombrich
Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric to modern times.
The Story of Art, one of the most famous and popular books on art ever written, has been a world bestseller for over four decades. Attracted by the simplicity and clarity of his writing, readers of ... (Goodreads)
Life: A User's Manual
by Georges Perec
A puzzle-like novel that explores the lives of the inhabitants of a Parisian apartment building.
Between World War I and II, a tremendously wealthy Englishman, Bartlebooth (whose name combines two literary characters, Herman Melville 's Bartleby and Valery Larbaud 's Barnabooth), devises a plan ... (Wikipedia)
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
by Ross King
An exploration of the artistic genius of Michelangelo, and the turbulent politics behind the Sistine Chapel.
In 1508, despite strong advice to the contrary, the powerful Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the newly restored Sistine Chapel. With little experience as a painter ... (Goodreads)
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
by Erik Larson
True story of a serial killer who used the 1893 World's Fair as a hunting ground.
The book is set in Chicago in 1893, interweaving the true tales of Daniel Burnham , the architect behind the 1893 World's Fair , and H. H. Holmes , a serial killer who lured his victims to their ... (Wikipedia)
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
by Bill Bryson
An exploration of the extraordinary and often overlooked history of the home.
“Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.” Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has ... (Goodreads)
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France
by Peter Mayle
A delightful collection of stories and anecdotes about the author's life in the South of France.
A whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix of Gallic characters. After trying–what folly!--to live in other places, Peter ... (Goodreads)
High-Rise
by J.G. Ballard
In a high-rise building, social boundaries begin to break down as the inhabitants descend into chaos and violence.
Following his divorce, doctor and medical-school lecturer Robert Laing moves into his new apartment on the 25th floor of a recently completed high-rise building on the outskirts of London. This tower ... (Wikipedia)
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
by Ian Mortimer
Exploring the history and culture of Medieval England.
Imagine you could get into a time machine and travel back to the 14th century. This text sets out to explain what life was like in the most immediate way, through taking the reader to the Middle ... (Goodreads)
M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work
by M.C. Escher
An exploration of the art of M.C. Escher, differing perspectives in visual illusions.
Presenting the structurally unthinkable as though it were a law of nature M.C. Escher was born in 1898 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands). He received his first drawing lessons during secondary school from ... (Goodreads)
The Dollhouse
by Fiona Davis
A woman unravels the secrets of a historic New York City apartment building and confronts dark secrets from the past.
Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950s a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and ... (Goodreads)
The Architecture of Happiness
by Alain de Botton
A philosophical exploration of how architecture shapes our emotions and how we can create living spaces that are both beautiful and meaningful.
The Achitecture of Happiness is a dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
by Jane Jacobs
Exposes the flaws of urban planning, advocating for a more organic approach.
A direct and fundamentally optimistic indictment of the short-sightedness and intellectual arrogance that has characterized much of urban planning in this century, The Death and Life of Great ... (Goodreads)
The Art Book
by Phaidon Press
A comprehensive guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art.
An A to Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times, it debunks art historical classifications by throwing together brilliant examples of all periods, schools, visions ... (Goodreads)
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
by David McCullough
An in-depth account of the construction of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.
Published on the fortieth anniversary of its initial publication, this edition of the classic book contains a new Preface by David McCullough, “one of our most gifted living writers” (,The Washington ... (Goodreads)
The Paris Architect
by Charles Belfoure
A man must balance his moral code and professional obligations amidst the Nazi occupation of France.
Like most gentiles in Nazi-occupied Paris, architect Lucien Bernard has little empathy for the Jews. So when a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for ... (Goodreads)
The Cheese Monkeys
by Chip Kidd
A coming-of-age story of a young graphic design student, exploring the creative process and the challenges of art school.
A hilarious debut novel that could only be described as a portrait of the designer as a young man. "Um...so what exactly is a Cheese Monkey?" Good question. But strictly off-limits. We can tell you ... (Barnes & Noble)
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
by Ross King
A look into the remarkable life and legacy of the pioneering artist and architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.
The, New York Times, bestselling, award winning story of the construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Renaissance genius who reinvented architecture to build it. On ... (Barnes & Noble)
Effective Java
by Joshua Bloch
A guide to writing high-quality Java code, covering best practices, design patterns, and common pitfalls.
Since this Jolt-award winning classic was last updated in 2008 (shortly after Java 6 was released), Java has changed dramatically. The principal enhancement in Java 8 was the addition of functional ... (Goodreads)
Bella Tuscany
by Frances Mayes
A memoir of a writer's love affair with Tuscany, its people, food, and landscape. A celebration of the beauty of life.
Frances Mayes invites us back for a delightful new season of friendship, festivity, and food there and throughout Italy. Frances Mayes, whose enchanting #1 New York Times bestseller Under the Tuscan ... (Goodreads)
The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number
by Mario Livio
A fascinating exploration of the mathematical concept of the golden ratio and its presence in art, nature, and science.
Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologians have pondered the mysterious relationship between numbers and the nature of reality. In this fascinating book, Mario Livio tells the ... (Goodreads)
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
by Charles Montgomery
Investigating the relationship between urban design and happiness, this book explores how cities can be transformed to improve our well-being.
Charles Montgomery’s Happy City will revolutionize the way we think about urban life. After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been ... (Goodreads)
The Stone Carvers
by Jane Urquhart
A family saga set in the aftermath of World War I, exploring the lives of stone carvers and their impact on Canadian history.
Beginning with the woodcarver Joseph Becker, the novel's timeline shifts back and forth between his life in 19th century Ontario, and the pre- and post-war lives of the grandchildren Klara and ... (Wikipedia)
History of Art
by H.W. Janson
Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric times to modern day. Includes analysis of major works and movements.
For 1000s of art lovers both amateur & professional, esthetic life began with Janson, as his History of Art is often called. In the 1st edition, published in 1962, he spoke to that perennial reader ... (Goodreads)
The Submission
by Amy Waldman
A jury selects a Muslim architect's design for a 9/11 memorial, sparking controversy and revealing deep-seated prejudices in post-9/11 America.
Ten years after 9/11, a dazzling, kaleidoscopic novel reimagines its aftermath and wonders what would happen if a Muslim-American was blindly chosen to plan the World Trade Center Memorial. Claire ... (Goodreads)
The Glass Room
by Simon Mawer
A story of a family living through the turbulent years of early 20th century Europe.
High on a Czechoslovak hill, the Landauer House has been built for newlyweds Viktor and Liesel Landauer, a Jew married to a gentile. But, when the storm clouds of WW2 gather, the family must flee, ... (Goodreads)
Iggy Peck, Architect
by Andrea Beaty
Iggy Peck, a young boy with a passion for building, uses his creativity and ingenuity to construct amazing structures.
A hilarious, irreverent book about doing your own thing Meet Iggy Peck—creative, independent, and not afraid to express himself! In the spirit of David Shannon’s No, David and Rosemary Wells’s Noisy ... (Goodreads)
The 20th Century Art Book
by Phaidon Press
A comprehensive guide to the most influential artists of the 20th century, featuring their most iconic works and biographical information.
Covering the international nature of the modern art scene, this title encompasses established, iconic works of art and the classics of the future. It presents 500 artists in an alphabetical order, ... (Goodreads)
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