Nature Versus the Built World: An Exploration of Amazing Competition Between and Our World

Nature Versus the Built World celebrates What we built, How, when, and why we built it, Who designed and built it, Why we abandoned it, and as a result...this is essential,what happens when we walk away from those buildings, bridges, machinery, etc. Nature takes over, architecture and engineering devolve, and plants and animal life flourish as they create a certain fascinating aesthetic that is beautiful and awe-inspiring in its own way. Not all of the subjects in the book have been abandoned but are or have been in some state of abandonment during their lives. And, in many cases, they were razed soon after being photographed.In each chapter and with each subject, you will enjoy artistry in what remains while we discuss the architecture, history, economics, and the human side too as we learn about Nature's efforts to take back what was hers. Part of what fascinates me is that she is heartless...almost "mechanical" and has no intention. Isn't that a curious observation...Nature being called robotic!? As natural as we consider her, she is based on science and has been at work for 4.5 billion years, whereas our Built World has only existed for maybe 40,000 years and engineering has only existed for around 5,000 years. Abandonment in the Built World is unique among photographic genres. For example, you may see a wild animal prowling (wildlife photography) through a formerly inhabited building or a child's toy (product photography) with fading primary colors and missing pieces laying on the floor of a ramshackle home. They are not necessarily "beautiful" in the classical sense like a bride lovingly awaiting her groom as he walks down the aisle toward her (wedding photography), or a freshly polished, pristine antique car glistening in the sun (automotive photography). But they are expressing Nature's "choices" and our coexistence.I so admire the photography skills and literary success of others who write in the abandonment photography, but am also able to delve into building science, engineering, building code, and constructability. This helps to flesh-out the subjects, make history more palpable, and bring Nature Versus the Built World into the real, practical world for my readers. Genres - nonfiction, spanning: Photography, Architecture, History, Nature/Ecology, and ScienceThis book will particularly fascinate, inform, and intrigue a variety of audiences: "The Built World" (architects and designers, engineers, building code experts, artisans and constructors), "Not the Built World" (naturalists, ecologists, botanists, and environmentalists), and "Hybrids" (sureties, historians, futurists, and millions of fans of related television programs and films)...Hardcover ISBN 978-1-918746-30-3Paperback ISBN 978-1-918746-29-7E-Book ISBN 978-1-918746-28-0The book features over 200 images that vary from classical to awesome "beauty" while seeking to inform, intrigue, and inspire.