‘Sturdy advice, delivered with humour and the occasional splinter’ Guardian

‘Gorgeous . . . contains fascinating insights about working with your hands, the nature of talent, and how to create a meaningful life’ A. J. Jacobs, bestselling author of The Puzzler

‘Exquisite, purposeful, absorbing . . . a book with much to teach us all’ Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Homeland Elegies

‘People think I’m a genius because I remember my high school math’

When Mark Ellison left high school, no one thought he would go anywhere. A self-proclaimed ‘serial dropout’, Mark spent his young adult years taking work where he found it. Who would have thought that forty years later he would be regarded as a great carpenter, making a living out of building homes for the rich and famous?

Full of warmth, wisdom and irreverent humour, this is the story of what carpentry can teach us about the satisfaction and joy that comes from doing something well for a long time. From staircases that would be deadly if built as designed to algae-eating snails boiled to escargot in a penthouse pond, Mark exposes the messy wiring behind the pristine walls – and the mindset that any of us can develop to build our own impossible things. Written with refreshing candour, this is an essential book about building life on your own terms, and the possibilities that await when we forge our own path.

Modernism is now a century old, and its consequences are all around us, built into our everyday lived environments. Its place in Britain’s history is fiercely contested, and its role in our future is the subject of ongoing controversy – but modernist buildings have undoubtedly changed our cities, politics and identity forever.

In Modern Buildings in Britain, Owen Hatherley applauds the ambition and explores the significance of this most divisive of architectures, travelling from Aberystwyth to Aberdeen, from St Ives to Shetland, in search of our most important and distinctive modern buildings. As Hatherley considers the social, political and cultural value of these structures – a number of which are threatened by demolition – two linked questions emerge: what happens to a building after it has been lived in, and what becomes of an idea when its time has passed?

With more than six hundred pages of trenchantly opinionated, often witty analysis, and with three hundred photographs in both duotone and colour, Modern Buildings in Britain is a landmark contribution to the history of British architecture.

‘A brilliantly engaging storyteller, laugh-out-loud funny, loving, cheekily smug…. An enjoyable read on making, inventing and what might contribute to a life worth living’ Julie Mehretu, Painter

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Over the past forty years, Mark Ellison has worked on some of the most beautiful homes you’ve never seen, specializing in rarefied and challenging projects with the most demanding of clients. He built a staircase a famed architect called a masterpiece. He worked on the iconic Sky House, which Interior Design named the best apartment of the decade. He’s even worked on the homes of David Bowie, Robin Williams, and others whose names he cannot reveal. He is regarded by many as the best carpenter in New York.

But before he was any of that, Ellison was just ‘a serial dropout’ who spent his young adult years taking work where he found it and sleeping on couches.

In How to Build Impossible Things, Ellison tells the story of his unconventional education in the world of architecture and design, and how he learned the satisfaction and joy that comes from doing something well for a long time. He takes us on a tour through the lofts, penthouses, and townhouses of New York’s elite which he has transformed over the years – before they’re camera-ready – and offers a window into what he’s learned about living meaningfully along the way. Scrapped blueprints and last-minute demands characterise life in the high-stakes world of luxury construction. From staircases that would be deadly if built as designed to algae-eating snails boiled to escargot in a penthouse pond, Ellison exposes the messy wiring behind the pristine walls – and the mindset that any of us can develop to build our own impossible things.

Written by acclaimed architecture expert Jonathan Glancey, Modern Architecture is a beautifully illustrated guide to the key styles, architects and movements that have defined our skylines since the dawn of the twentieth century. From the dizzying heights of the Shard to the exquisite curves of the Sydney Opera House, and from Frank Lloyd Wright to Sir David Adjaye, this is the essential handbook to the creative discipline that shapes our world.

‘His comments are always informative, unashamedly partisan and often enjoyably tart’ – Sunday Telegraph

‘One of the finest architectural writers in contemporary Britain’ – Scotland on Sunday

Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Architecture in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Architecture Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.

This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Architecture, with:

– A global scope, covering architecture from all over the world
– Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts
– A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout
– Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding

The Architecture Book is a captivating introduction to buildings and the ideas, and principles that make them key to the history and evolution of our built environment – aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you’ll discover the most important ideas, technologies, and movements in the history of architecture and structural engineering, through exciting text and bold graphics.

Your Architecture Questions, Simply Explained

Learn about the evolution of construction, from ancient and classical architecture through Medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance buildings, Baroque and Rococo, to 19th-century emerging modernism and postmodernism and glittering skyscrapers. If you thought it was difficult to learn about buildings and the ideas behind them, The Architecture Book presents key information in a clear layout. Explore architectural movements, styles and celebrated buildings from all over the world, and stunning religious structures from mosques to churches, stupas to pagodas and temples.

The Big Ideas Series

With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Architecture Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.

From one of our greatest voices in modern philosophy, author of The Course of Love, The Consolations of Philosophy and The School of Life, The Architecture of Happiness explores the fascinating hidden links between the buildings we live in and our long-term wellbeing.

‘Engaging and intelligent . . . Full of splendid ideas, happily and beautifully expressed’ Independent

What makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures – and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?

To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home.

‘Alain de Botton takes big, complex subjects and writes about them with thoughtful and deceptive innocence’ Observer

‘Clever, provocative and fresh as a daisy’ Literary Review