The Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius declared firmitas, utilitas and venustas - firmness, commodity and delight - to be the three essential attributes of architecture. These qualities are brilliantly explored in this book, which uniquely comprises a detailed survey of Western architecture, including Pre-Columbian America, and an introduction to architecture from the Middle East, India, Russia, China and Japan. The text encourages readers to examine closely the pragmatic, innovative and aesthetic attributes of buildings, and to imagine how these would have been praised or criticized by contemporary observers. Artistic, economic, environmental, political, social and technological contexts are discussed so as to determine the extent to which buildings met the needs of clients, society at large and future generations.

http://www.laurenceking.com/en/a-world-history-of-architecture-3rd-edition/