Clouddwellers Towerists and the Skyline Society contains 409 terms and definitions that are in any way related to skyscrapers. About 300 of these have been made up for the occasion. We need those words. When talking about skyscrapers, too often we find ourselves explaining the importance of having lovely views while taking a bath. Or how pleasant it is to enter a spacious and well-designed lobby. Or why a small, unsightly night shop next door might matter more to a skyscraper resident than a nearby national theatre. We don’t even have a proper term for a residential skyscraper, or for those who live in them. Words are tools used to create opinions, ideas, and insights, and the more terms, slang, or jargon we’ve got at our disposal, the deeper our understanding of the skyscraper will be.
That said, this dictionary is not a one-way trip from A through Z, which would have been sufficient to satisfy the need for a linguistic toolbox that creates awareness of often overlooked but essential details. Through vocabulary, this book not only celebrates the skyscraper but also shows you around the wonderful and versatile place that is skyscraperland. It explores every corner of this spacious world, while also taking a closer look at its densely-packed pockets. It presents many highlights, but also some of the down-to-earth areas. Best of all, it has a lot of stories to tell, some of which are quite tall. This book is not only the world’s first skyscraper dictionary but also the first vertical travel book.
book details
Case Binding, Hardcover, Dust Jacket
Language: English
Pages: 304
Price: €25 / £25 / $30
ISBN: 978 90 824969 2 5
Dimensions: 157 x 236 x 22 mm
Foreword by Steve Watts, ctbuh / alinea consulting
Published by Altorium Press, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Book design by Zijwit, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Printed by Drukkerij Wilco, Amersfoort, the Netherlands
Please send all feedback, ideas and suggestions to janklerks@gmail.com
Buy a copy
Clouddwellers Towerists and the Skyline Society a available through amazon.nl and amazon.co.uk, and will be available at selected bookshops. If you'd like to purchase a signed copy from the author, please contact janklerks@gmail.com.