"Book Briefs" are an ongoing series of posts with two- or three-sentence first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that make their way into my library. These briefs are not full-blown reviews, but they are a way to share more books worthy of attention than can find their way into reviews on my daily or weekly pages.

Adjaye Africa Architecture by David Adjaye, edited by Peter Allison | Thames & Hudson | 2016 | Amazon
Five years ago David Adjaye's seven-volume, slipcased survey of architecture in African cities was released. Retailing for $100, the book was out of reach for many people interested in the subject, so it's good news that Thames & Hudson has put out a miniature version of the book. At 408 pages and a page size of around 8 by 10 inches, it's not a tiny book, but too much smaller and Adjaye's numerous photos would have been too small. As is, the photos that make up most of the book are small but big enough to reveal the characteristics of the cities. Each city is presented across six pages, with two devoted to an overview, data, and maps, and the rest given over to photos categorized by typology: civic, commercial, residential, university, etc. Adjaye's quick, drive-by photos will not win him any awards, but the passion and thoroughness of his documentation is hard not to applaud, particularly in a package that more people can learn from.
Form & Data: Collective Housing Projects: An Anatomical Revi...