{"product_id":"cities-in-the-sky-the-quest-to-build-the-worlds-tallest-skyscrapers-9781982174217","title":"Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscrapers","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom one of the world's top experts on the economics of skyscrapers--a \"fascinating\" (\u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e, London) and \"informative\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e) account of the ever-growing quest for super tall buildings across the globe.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe world's skyscrapers have brought us awe and wonder, and yet they remain controversial--for their high costs, shadows, and overt grandiosity. But, decade by decade, they keep getting higher and higher. What is driving this global building spree of epic proportions? In \u003ci\u003eCities in the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e, author Jason Barr \"provides an enjoyable, expansive study of a subject he loves\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e), explaining why they appeal to cities and nations, how they get financed, why they succeed economically, and how they change a city's skyline and enable the world's greatest metropolises to thrive in the 21st century. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the Empire State Building (1,250 feet) to the Shanghai Tower (2,073 feet) and everywhere in between, Barr explains the unique architectural and engineering efforts that led to the creation of each structure. Along the way, he visits and unpacks some surprising myths about the earliest skyscrapers and the growth of American skylines after World War II, which incorporated a new suite of technologies that spread to the rest of the world in the 1990s. Barr also explores why London banned skyscrapers at the end of the 19th century but then embraced them in the 21st and explains how Hong Kong created the densest cluster of skyscrapers on the planet. Also covered is the dramatic result of China's \"skyscraper fever\" and then on to the Arabian Peninsula to see what drove Dubai to build the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which at 2,717 feet, is higher than the new One World Trade Center in New York by three football fields. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFilled with fascinating details for urbanists, architecture buffs, and urban design enthusiasts alike, \u003ci\u003eCities in the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e \"masterfully weaves together the history, myths, economics, and engineering behind the most iconic structures across the world's skylines\" to showcase \"the ambition, ingenuity, and vision that encourage us to build higher and bolder\" (Grady Hillhouse, creator of Practical Engineering).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBarr, Jason M.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Jason M. Barr is a professor of economics at Rutgers University-Newark. One of the world's foremost experts on the economics of skyscrapers, he is the author of \u003ci\u003eBuilding the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan Skyscrapers\u003c\/i\u003e and has had his research featured in \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eEconomist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCurbed\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eArchitectural Record\u003c\/i\u003e. A Long Island native, Barr received his BA from Cornell University, his MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston, and his PhD from Columbia University. He has also taught at Dartmouth College and Columbia University. His writing has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, StarTrek.com, Dezeen.com, \u003ci\u003eScientific American\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eIrish Independent\u003c\/i\u003e. He currently writes a blog about skyscrapers, cities, and economics. His favorite skyscraper is the Empire State Building.","brand":"Scribner Book Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50607655420178,"sku":"9781982174217","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1752a8dc-8895-49ab-bb3f-47ab8e1278d5.jpg?v=1753184787","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/cities-in-the-sky-the-quest-to-build-the-worlds-tallest-skyscrapers-9781982174217","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}