Arthur Drooker is a respected and well reviewed photographer. Millions of people attend specialty and niche conventions per year around the world, serving as the perfect market for this book. Conventional Wisdom chronicles author-photographer Arthur Drooker's travels to quirky conventions in the United States, including Lincoln presenters, furries, and mermaids, and documents them as unique expressions of community, culture, and connection. Drooker's humorous and insightful text, including intimate interviews with attendees, compliment the stunning photographs he took during his many visits to each convention over a three-year period. From the ballrooms to the vendor rooms to the guest rooms, Drooker's ubiquitous camera captures the essence and exuberance of these annual gatherings. Conventional Wisdom shows that regardless of what they're about, where they're held or who attends them, all conventions satisfy a basic human urge: a longing to belong. The book reveals that at conventions people who share similar interests, even obsessions, come together to bond and to be themselves. The outside world doesn't matter. An attendee Drooker met at the taxidermist convention expressed it best: "This isn't a convention," he said. "It's a family reunion." Includes: Association of Lincoln Presenters; Bronycon; Vent Haven; Santa Celebration; Fetishcon; Military History Fest; World Clown Association; World Taxidermy Championships; Anthrocon; Merfest.

City Hall is the first book to feature striking contemporary images of the most architecturally significant city halls in the United States. This diverse collection includes New York, the oldest; Philadelphia, once the tallest building in the world; and Boston, the first major brutalist building in the United States. Organized chronologically, the book traces the evolution of American civic architecture from the early 19th century to the present day and represents diverse styles such as Federalist, art deco, and modern. Architects, current and former mayors, historians, and preservationists tell the story of how each city hall came to be, what it says about its city, and why it's important architecturally. With a foreword by noted historian Douglas Brinkley and an essay by architectural writer Thomas Mellins, City Hall spotlights these often underappreciated civic buildings and affirms architecture's unique power to express democratic ideals and inspire civic engagement.