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It is not often that the look ond feel of a book fits the contents, but Normon Crowe’s Nature and the Idea of a Manmade World (MIT Press, £25.50/$29.95, ISBN 0 262 03222 8) appears to be a fine example of this genre. It would be difficult to think of a more appropriate way of presenting Crowe’s exploration of how nature has influenced architecture, than on fine cream paper bound in beige and green, and covered with a parchment-like jacket. It is fortunate that not only is the presentation of a fine, “natural” quality, but also the writing style. Crowe discusses the unique need of humans to construct buildings, tackling the issue from an architectural, philosophical and anthropological stance. And he maintains readability despite introducing the often complex ideas of numerous theorists.