ABC of Architecture - by James F O'Gorman (Paperback)

About the Book

While human needs for shelter, comfort, and beauty haven't changed, the buildings created in response to these needs have. In this primer on the art, science, and history of architecture, James F. O'Gorman proposes that there is a poetics to the endeavor of building, and that architecture is not only a form of language but also a way to understand history. 53 illustrations.

Book Synopsis

ABC of Architecture James F. O'Gorman. Drawings by Dennis E. McGrath "May be the best-written work on the subject."--New York Times "Thank goodness for James F. O'Gorman, who has given us this refreshingly clear guide to the indispensable convergence of art and science we call architecture."--Forbes "[O'Gorman's] mastery of the subject shows in his straightforward, lucid prose."--Publishers Weekly "James O'Gorman's ABC of Architecture takes its rightful place among the few paragons this century of clear and direct introductions to the field."--Robert Venturi ABC of Architecture is an accessible, nontechnical introduction to architectural structure, history, and criticism. Author James F. O'Gormon moves seamlessly from a discussion of the most basic inspiration for architecture (the need for shelter from the elements), to an exploration of space, system, and material, and, finally, to an examination of the language and history of architecture. He shows the nonspecialist how to read a design in plans, sections, and elevations, and how architects, like other artists, make creative use of space and light. James F. O'Gorman is Grace Slack McNeil Professor of the History of American Art at Wellesley College and author of more than a dozen books on architecture and art history, including Connecticut Valley Vernacular: The Vanishing Landscape and Architecture of the New England Tobacco Fields, also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press. 1997 144 pages 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 53 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-1631-8 Paper $16.95s £11.50 World Rights Architecture

Review Quotes

"[O'Gorman's] mastery of the subject shows in his straightforward, lucid prose."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"James O'Gorman's ABC of Architecture takes its rightful place among the few paragons this century of clear and direct introductions to the field."-- "Robert Venturi"

"Thank goodness for James F. O'Gorman, who has given us this refreshingly clear guide to the indispensable convergence of art and science we call architecture."-- "Forbes"

About the Author

James F. O'Gorman is Grace Slack McNeil Professor of the History of American Art at Wellesley College and author of more than a dozen books on architecture and art history, including Connecticut Valley Vernacular: The Vanishing Landscape and Architecture of the New England Tobacco Fields, also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.