Cities: Then & Now

Rating:
Summary: This book is so fun!
Review: I got this book as a birthday present. As a total architecture nerd, I got SO into reading about the early metropolitan areas and how they've changed. A MUST-READ for any avid city-dweller, or a fellow architecture nerd. Definitely not a serious text on architecture or urbanism, but educational all the same.

Rating:
Summary: Lacks Depth
Review: I like this book because of it's uniqueness, but I can't help but think of how much better it could be. The text is weak and lacks any insight. To be honest, if there were no text, you wouldn't even notice.

The overlays are the most imporatant aspect and can be really iteresting. But they can also be fairly crude and limited. In the long run, I would rather see this technique applied to more travel books with multiple overlays for any city. For example if this technique was used for, say, Paris, and the overlays were used for many areas of the city, I think it would be fabulous. Also an expansion of the timeline, with more than one era shown would be really fun.

So I would have to say it's "eh" (shoulder shrug).

Rating:
Summary: Lacks Depth
Review: I like this book because of it's uniqueness, but I can't help but think of how much better it could be. The text is weak and lacks any insight. To be honest, if there were no text, you wouldn't even notice.

The overlays are the most imporatant aspect and can be really iteresting. But they can also be fairly crude and limited. In the long run, I would rather see this technique applied to more travel books with multiple overlays for any city. For example if this technique was used for, say, Paris, and the overlays were used for many areas of the city, I think it would be fabulous. Also an expansion of the timeline, with more than one era shown would be really fun.

So I would have to say it's "eh" (shoulder shrug).

Rating:
Summary: Lovely overview
Review: I must have been deprived as a child because any form of "pop-up" (I am using that term generically) adult book really interests me.

This book travels through the past and almost-present in 18 international cities. In chronological order, we visit Athens, Rome, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Florence, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris, London, Washington D.C., Sydney, Moscow, Tokyo, San Francisco, Hong Kong and New York.

The author first gives a short description and history of each city, just before the overlay which depicts the past and shows architectural sites that no longer exist. The next page is the city as it is today. I found myself constantly flipping back and forth as I read the accompanying pages of text.

Each city's description is unique as the author gives us little tidbits about each in addition to the full background of development and changes.

For example, unique to Prague are the sections about The Royal Way and the Prague Defenestrations (throwing people out of windows when they made the citizens angry). Unique to Sydney is the article about the city's first architect. The history of the "squares" in London is explained and in the section about Paris, the significance of Versailles is explained (it had a huge influence on city design and planning all over the world).

A totally enjoyable and beautiful book.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely overview
Review: I must have been deprived as a child because any form of "pop-up" (I am using that term generically) adult book really interests me.

This book travels through the past and almost-present in 18 international cities. In chronological order, we visit Athens, Rome, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Florence, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris, London, Washington D.C., Sydney, Moscow, Tokyo, San Francisco, Hong Kong and New York.

The author first gives a short description and history of each city, just before the overlay which depicts the past and shows architectural sites that no longer exist. The next page is the city as it is today. I found myself constantly flipping back and forth as I read the accompanying pages of text.

Each city's description is unique as the author gives us little tidbits about each in addition to the full background of development and changes.

For example, unique to Prague are the sections about The Royal Way and the Prague Defenestrations (throwing people out of windows when they made the citizens angry). Unique to Sydney is the article about the city's first architect. The history of the "squares" in London is explained and in the section about Paris, the significance of Versailles is explained (it had a huge influence on city design and planning all over the world).

A totally enjoyable and beautiful book.

Rating:
Summary: great pictures, ok text
Review: The idea behind this book is delightful: acetate overlays peel back to reveal the same view of the particular city several centuries (or even millenia) later. Although the limp text isn't up to the standards of the pictures, it's still worth it. A great gift for travelers and history lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and beautifully executed
Review: This book is marvelous.

Eighteen cities are depicted: Athens, Rome, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Florence, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris, London, Washington D.C., Sydney, Moscow, Tokyo, San Francisco, Hong Kong and New York. To each is devoted seven to nine pages of material which include a short history of the city, a description of major architectural features of the place, a half- to three quarter-page photograph of the present-day location and a high-quality overlay with depictions of structures now long gone.

The introduction discusses the evolution of the city and various influences which affected its development in different areas of the world.

The content of the text and the presentation make the history of these places dynamic and interesting; if you are interested in cities and/or history, this would be a wonderful addition to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Very Innovative Book - Outstanding Photos and Visuals
Review: This is a short book of just over 100 pages but it is not in the standard book format. It is about 10" (25 cm) square and has a strong visual presentation of beautiful photos and overlays to show the evolution of 18 important cities such as Jerusalem, Rome, Athens, Istanbul etc all the way up through London, Paris, Moscow,....to Hong Kong and lastly New York with the twin towers of the world trade center (written in 1999). When the overlay is applied, buildings change and disappear. It shows in a striking fashion the development and expansion of the cities. Plus is has written reviews on the history and growth of each city.

A short but striking book.

Jack in Toronto