Theme parks are a uniquely interactive and enduring form of entertainment that have influenced architecture; technology and culture in surprising ways for more than a century; as Scott Lukas now reveals in his compelling book.Theme Park takes the primitive amusements of pleasure gardens as its starting point and launches from there into a rich; in-depth investigation of the evolution of the theme park over the twentieth century. Lukas examines theme parks in countries around the world – including the United States; UK; Europe; Japan; China; South Africa and Australia – and how themed fairs and parks developed through diverse means and in a variety of settings. The book examines world-famous and lesser-known parks; including the early parks of Coney Island; a series of World Fairs and their luxurious exhibition halls; Six Flags parks and virtual theme parks today; and; of course; Disneyland and Walt Disney World.Lukas analyses the theme park as a living entity that unexpectedly shapes people; their relationships and the world around them. Ultimately; Theme Park reveals; the wider influence of theme parks can be found in the shopping malls; branded stores and casinos that employ the techniques of amusement parks to dominate our current entertainment world.Packed with captivating illustrations; Theme Park takes us on a historical roller-coaster ride that both reanimates the places that shaped our childhoods and anticipates the future of escapism and fantasy fun.
#282435 in eBooks 2012-12-04 2012-12-04File Name: B009JU5H78
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