Renowned architects from around the world share successful strategies for convertible living, from foldaway kitchens to foldout offices, from swiveling walls to cantilevering lofts, from one-room urban studios to palatial countryside homes.

This richly illustrated book looks at historical architecture and furnishings as well as modern objects that show the same aesthetic, and offers insights into how American houses of the past have shaped our houses today.

High-rise architecture has provided some of the most technically innovative and aesthetically interesting buildings of recent years. It has also become some of the most desirable property available in cities throughout the world.

The global ice cream market continues to grow. According to a recent report by market analyst Euromonitor International, global retail sales of ice cream were worth $59 billion in 2006, 4 percent higher than the year before.

During America's Gilded Age (dates), the country was swept by a mania for all things Japanese.

Our homes are connected by a rarely noticed infrastructure grid—electrical towers and wires, power stations, hydroelectric dams, telecommunication towers, and water extraction and sewage systems.

What is a single scene short story? It is a short work of fiction with a specific remarkable quality-the whole of the story takes place in one scene, one geographical coordinate, one window of time.

Long before Sinatra found his favorite table at Patsy's, New York City's theater district has overflowed with the vibrancy of wannabe actors, singers, and playwrights, many of them staffing local restaurants.