High times

Building the Empire State, a contemporary scrapbook
detailing the constuction of what was for forty years until 1971
the world’s tallest building, is given lavish facsimile treatment
by Carol Willis, founder of the Skyscraper Museum in New York.
Her engaging introductory essay reveals how ther building’s shape,
construction and even its record-breaking height were largely
determined by the zoning laws and economic exigencies of the day.
Published by W. W. Norton, £19.95/$29.95, ISBN 0393730301.