A comprehensive, succinct, wide-ranging, accessible reference to architecture in America. In over 2,500 definitions and nearly 1,000 illustrations, Cyril Harris covers everything to do with the built environment, from construction materials and techniques to decorative terms and practical devices, dogtrot cabin to skyscraper, covered bridge to Crystal Palace (the New York one), greenbelt to gristmill, impost to pilaster--enriched, when relevant, with intriguing historical or biographical nuggets. The rich diversity of American architecture is reflected in the 126 styles identified in these pages, a unique contribution to the field.