Architecture is not a luxury, insists Norman Foster, but a necessity generated by people"s social, spiritual, and material needs. In a series of essays Foster looks back on four decades of work in which he has provided humanity with places to hope and dream, find solace in a crowded world, and establish order amidst chaos. Thematically arranged in a series of visual chapters, these reflections are woven through elements of Foster"s remarkable career. Duotone photographs of his buildings, including the Reichstag in Berlin, the Carre d"Art in Nimes, the Expo Station in Singapore, the British Museum"s Great Court, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters are scattered throughout this magnificently printed and bound volume, making it an exquisite collectors item, as well as a valuable reference for anyone interested in the state of architecture today.