Reviewed January 2008 in CHOICE:

In an engaging and wide-ranging study, Schrenk (architecture and art history, Norwich University) situates the architecture of the "Century of Progress" World's Fair in Chicago in many broader contexts.

This well-written book argues for the continuing impact of this fair long after its temporary structures came down. Built during the Depression, it introduced new materials and technologies (such as various pressed wood boards, some including asbestos, and other innovative forms of prefabrication) that would shape building practices for subsequent decades.

Schrenk's story is surprisingly interesting, enlivened by postcards and ephemera as illustrations. Major and minor architectural firms receive equal treatment (Frank Lloyd Wright and Norman Bel Geddes are mostly considered in their absence from the built environment of the 1933-34 fair site).

A marvelous gallery of color images supports an important assessment of the role of color in architectural theory of the era. Those unfamiliar with the growing literature on world's fairs as cultural phenomena will find this a useful starting point. This book has much to interest audiences from art history, architecture, modern cultural history, and American studies.

Summing Up: Highly recommended.

All levels. -- J. E. Housefield, Texas State University--San Marcos

Every year in the January issue, Choice publishes a list of Outstanding Academic Titles that were reviewed during the previous calendar year. This prestigious list reflects the best in scholarly titles reviewed by Choice and brings with it the extraordinary recognition of the academic library community.

The list is quite selective: it contains approximately ten percent of some 7,000 works reviewed in Choice each year. Choice editors base their selections on the reviewer's evaluation of the work, the editor's knowledge of the field, and the reviewer's record.