Whats So Great About the Eiffel Tower?: 70 Questions That Will Change the Way You Think about Architecture by Jonathan Glancey

Whats So Great About the Eiffel Tower?: 70 Questions That Will Change the Way You Think about Architecture Reviews

• 
  Kara

  Satisfyingly skimmable introduction or reductive excuse to publish?
  
  If you're interested in a sampler platter of major architectural advancements and movements, this is your book. ...cough cough... That said: Don't be surprised though if it leaves you surfing the interwebs for tellingly absent depth around many of the 70 questions it poses. For example, using Charles Rennie Mackintosh as a springboard into more obscure Scottish architect Alexander Thomson feels like short shrift to both.
  
  I definitely learned about some new buildings and theories I was unfamiliar with, so it's entirely possible Jonathan Glancey has done his job. He's made me thirsty to learn more.
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  Sarah Babkov

  I enjoyed the book, but the text often lacks the depth that could have made it really good. I felt like background information was lacking in some chapters, and certain architects kept coming up again and again while others are barely mentioned, if at all. Why not put the chapters in a kind of chronological order? Why not have a cohesive, unifying idea for the book? Not sure. It seems like these were mostly a collection of “shower thoughts,” albeit from someone who knows a lot.
  
  While I learned a lot, the author often mentioned buildings that were not pictured in the book. I found this frustrating, as I felt compelled to pause my reading to fetch my phone and google image whatever he was talking about. Surely, a book about architecture for casual architecture fans would be better about this? I also found it funny that some chapters had a more balanced perspective and others to be heavily opinionated.
  
  Overall, a good read. I really enjoyed the chapter on Chartres.
• 
  Piyumi

  Really enjoyed Glancey's witty rebuke at the status of architectural designs around the world and the big names of the 20th century. Glancey has a remarkable talent of placing the right anecdote, quote and research point where required and succinctly carry on with the discussion. His own personal experiences of the designs and the architects adds a nice touch to the collection.
  This was a thoroughly enjoyable read on one of my favourite subjects
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  Lesley Botez

  The author has chosen well-known buildings and structures throughout the ages and asked questions about them. Examples include Crystal Palace, Guggenheim Bilbao and Bauhaus, Dassau. He also asks whether architect Le Corbusier was a hero or a vilain and John Portman a futurist architect or real estate developer. An interesting read.
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  Lauren

  I really enjoyed this. Any architecture fan will like to read through and make their opinions of the work in it. It's extremely content heavy, but I think it's definitely worth the read for any architecture/design lover.
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  Carolyn

  I enjoyed the short chapters and pictures. It's not an in depth book, but it has many interesting facts.