Great cities The stories behind the world's most fascinating places

DK explores the 7,000-year history of the city. According to the introduction, "cities are the engines of human history," vital to the cultural, artistic, economic, scientific, and political achievements of humanity. Moreover, they are becoming even more important as 55 percent of the global population resides in cities and, according to current projections, the world will have 43 megacities by the year 2030 (cities of more than 10 million people). This stunning work highlights 100 of the most significant cities around the globe, including New York City, Mexico City, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Each entry provides information about a different city's origin, its most prominent citizens, and reasons why it is historically important. The featured cities are organized into five chapters (ancient and lost civilizations, river cities, maritime cities, designed cities, and modern metropolises). Like other works by DK, this one stands out for its striking images, which include illustrations, photographs, a time line, and maps. Overall, this guide is suitable for all ages as the information is presented in a visually appealing, easy-to-understand manner. VERDICT An attractive coffee-table book, highly recommended for fans of history and travel.--Dave Pugl