You can build it to the sky if you do it right, which apparently was and is the case of the folks who built these magnificent structures. Mud is probably the oldest building material, and if done properly will last for centuries. Van Beek (curator for anthropology emeritus, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) starts by describing the long history of mud building from the Mesolithic to the present, and gives a strong overview of mud construction, with instructions that tempt readers to try it for themselves. He relates the techniques, advantages and disadvantages of wattle-and-daub, layered mud, rammed earth, and mud brick construction, methods for roofs and finishing, and solutions to problems such as earthquakes and water erosion. The photographs and illustrations, including floor plans of classical sites and records of excavations, are fascinating. This may be the answer to the current mortgage crisis. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)