Real LI

“How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architectural Styles,” by Carol Davidson Cragoe (Rizzoli Publications, $17.95): If the terms Baroque or Rococo are foreign to you, this is the perfect book. The author gives us a guided tour to understanding buildings by learning to spot historical and architectural clues. This compact book tells us about Christian domes, interior wall coverings, porticos, classical orders and a lot more as we move from ancient building principles and styles on through 20th Century chimneys and fireplaces, with hundreds of sketches to help readers identify what they’re seeing in structures.

- PAM ROBINSON