Ian Volner

A short, charming biography of the architect. This book manages to convey the essential facts and ideas of the man's life and work. The differences in Wright's approach to architecture over the years are well drawn, and put in their historical contexts, with a nod to those architects whose work influenced Wright.

The book manages to balance praise and criticism, both of Wright's designs and of his life choices. Unlike nearly every other book about the man I've seen, it does not contain photographs of the famous buildings or other designs; instead, it is illustrated in a clear and pleasant style.

All in all, if you are a fan of, or at least interested in, Wright's work, reading this will be a pleasant way to spend an hour, and you may learn something new about him.… (altro)

Frank Lloyd Wright is the first architect to be given the "This Is" treatment from Laurence King, which previously published illustrated biographies on a number of artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Gaugin, and Andy Warhol, to name a few. Writer Ian Volner is paired with illustrator Michael Kirkham, and together they created an accessible biography of the great architect, one that touches on just about every major event and project of his long career. The illustrations (as on the cover) and the short page length (80 pages) make it seem like the book is geared to children, but Volner's descriptive, info-packed writing is hardly something my eight-year-old daughter could get into – yet. Kirkham's drawings, which recall Chris Ware at times, help to pull people along on a beautifully told story of an architect who had one of the most captivating lives imaginable.… (altro)