A historic overview of domestic architecture from the modest to the extravagant. Beginning with prehistoric hunting camps and ending with Biosphere 2, the author presents a good representation of cultures throughout the world, including generic forms of housing (cave dwellings, Roman apartments, a Maori Pa, Zulu homes) as well as specific palaces (Sargon's palace in Assyria, Chambord in France). Two-to-six pages are devoted to each type of abode and examine who lived there, building materials and constructions, special or unique design features, and, in some cases, provide layouts of the surrounding community. Colorful illustrations of the homes and communities, some photographs of domestic artifacts, and cutaways and diagrams further illuminate how people lived. Four overlays add another dimension by presenting both exteriors and interiors of specific dwellings.