Book excerpt: This engaging book uses buildings and structures as a lens through which to explore various strands of U.S. social history, revealing the connections between architecture and the cultural, economic, and political events before and during these American landmarks' construction. During the 20th and 21st centuries, the United States became the dominant world power. The tumultuous progression of our nation to global leader can be seen in the social, cultural, and political history of the United States over the last century, and the country's evolution is also reflected in major buildings and landmark sites across the nation. Buildings and Landmarks of 20th- and 21st-Century America: American Society Revealed documents how the construction, design, and function of famous buildings and structures can inform our understanding of societies of the past. Its text and images enable readers to get a deeper understanding of the buildings themselves as well as what happened at each structure's location and how those events fit into our nation's history. Through the study of specific buildings or types of buildings that influenced the cultural, social, and political history of the nation, readers will explore monuments to presidents, learn about how the first tract home neighborhoods came into existence, and marvel at the role of buildings in helping us get to the moon, just to mention a few topics.