Overview

Skyscrapers are an American original. More than 100 years ago, towering marvels like New York's Flatiron Building thrilled the public and transformed cities across the country. Now take a tour of the best of these elegant landmarks still standing today in 31 U.S. and 5 international cities. Packed with colorful tales of the powerful executives and self-made millionaires who commissioned the country's first skyscrapers, MultiStories also traces the emergence of modern corporations in banking, media, transportation, insurance, manufacturing, entertainment, and other industries that fed the explosive growth of American cities at the start of the 20th century. Learn the surprising and inspiring stories of Gilded Age rags-to-riches risk-takers who invested in these so-called machines that make the land pay - soaring structures that proclaimed their owners' influence and remain as legacies of a fascinating, forgotten past. Award-winning writer and speaker Mark Houser weaves extensive research with observations gleaned touring these ostentatious old high-rises - many now updated as luxury condos or boutique hotels. Entertaining and informative case studies and historic sketches of each building are illustrated with century-old postcards from a time when these antique skyscrapers were dazzling new tourist attractions.

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9780578807362

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Reviews

WAY MORE FUN THAN I EVER EXPECTED! Juicy scandals, sudden deaths, know-it-all tycoons, obstinate architects, surprising facts (who knew there was a shovel millionaire?) and the unexpected murder of a Chicago dentist. Mark Houser is informative, authoritative, and knows what makes a story sparkle. Rick Sebak Producer and Director, WQED Pittsburgh Every city has buildings that give it a unique sense of identity and place. Buildings tell stories, and Mark Houser has captured them in a fascinating look at historic skyscrapers from an era of growth and optimism. Peg Breen President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy Well conceived and beautifully written - just the right combination of history, architecture, and human interest stories to engage and satisfy a broad audience of readers. Andrew Masich, CEO & President, Sen. John Heinz History Center A pilgrimage to the cathedrals of our epoch. Where the cathedral invited the faithful to look up to heaven, the skyscraper proposed to lift them there to work and live high above the earth. This book will educate, delight, and inspire, especially business leaders interested in the people who came before them. Alan Axelrod Author of The Gilded Age and Napoleon, CEO: 6 Principles to Guide Modern Leaders An amazing book about how skyscrapers have helped to build our cities and provide iconic images that resonate throughout the world. I enjoyed it immensely. Jim Hunt Past president of the National League of Cities and host of The Amazing Cities Podcast There are plenty of books about skyscrapers where the heroes are the buildings themselves. This is a different kind of skyscraper book - one about people. Each story gives a human context to important pieces of our architectural history. Donovan Rypkema, founder of PlaceEconomics, Washington, D.C.

Author Information

Mark Houser is an award-winning journalist and frequent public speaker who has appeared on CNN, FOX, and NPR, and given a TEDx Talk. Hundreds of people have taken his Antique Skyscraper Rooftops guided tour in Pittsburgh. His story about trying unsuccessfully to stop the future president of France from scorching his mouth on a habanero salsa nacho chip has been published in The New Yorker.

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