The architecture of Los Angeles seems at first sight to be chaotic, individualism being its only rationale. This work looks beneath the surface to find out why the city's architectural scene is so fascinating. It provides a survey of Los Angeles' most provocative buildings and landmarks, and an architectural analysis of the entire period of the city's development. Beginning with the pioneering characters of the American Arts and Crafts movement, including the Greene brothers, it traces the city's architectural development through the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolph Schindler to the buildings of Frank Gehry and the architecture of the avant-garde.