Choice Review

In writing this book Garry Stevens has done the architectural profession a great service. A history of architecture from prehistory to the postmodern world is easily found in one of two varieties, architecture as poetry or architecture as art. Stevens considers the other side of architecture--the scientific view of building heretofore seemingly reserved only for the modern movement. The book, unfortunately, would be little understood by most architects but should come as welcome enlightenment to scientists and mathematicians and to those in other disciplines based on logic. An excellent table of contents and index promote ease of browsing through the wide variety of illustrations, charts, and formula. Combining it with a history of another type, such as Spiro Kostof's A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals (CH, Dec'86), would give a balanced challenging view of architecture. The Reasoning Architect should be acquired by every library architecture collection. -G. F. Hisel, University of Kentucky