Lovingly and meticulously researched and prepared and beautifully presented in an oversize format (12.5x11"), this book has deep and wide appeal for those with aesthetic, historical, and urban design interests. The cover image speaks volumes with depiction of a once elegant house and barn, now decrepit and sporting a broken down pick-up truck in the yard. Contents are arranged in sections on gathering places, farming communities, cultural enclaves, resort communities, transportation hubs, resource extraction towns, and company towns--a total of 30 locations in Virginia where remnants of buildings are faded reminders of places that once held plenty of life and activity. Fisher (Community Design Assistance Center, Virginia Tech) and Sparenborg (affiliated with an urban design firm) offer thorough documentation in text and b&w photos of the locales and some of the people who remember what used to be. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)