A seminal postmodern critique of urban sprawl in general -- and the Las Vegas Strip in particular, repackaged for this second edition. It's an analysis of the symbolism and semiotics of architecture of Las Vegas. With hundreds of maps, photographs and sketches. In 1968, Venturi and a group of students from the Yale School of Art and Architecture journeyed to Las Vegas to make sense of the city's seemingly chaotic landscape. What resulted was this appreciative interpretation of Las Vegas imagery, from its commercial strips to glaring signs. Venturi's study was also a call to fellow architects to ignore their egos and to build with the "common" man's needs and tastes in mind -- a somewhat controversial message bucking the minimalist trend of the time. A great read for anyone interested in the ingenuity of Las Vegas aesthetics or American pop culture with the patience to wade through a lot of theoretical mumbo jumbo.  (USW242, $23.95)