Alpern (Holdouts! The Buildings That Got in the Way) explores the social and historical context, design, and engineering features of the legendary Dakota apartments, which preside over Central Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the late 19th century a profusion of magnificent residences for the affluent were built in New York, of which the Dakota is arguably the jewel in the crown. Although many of these grand buildings were razed over the following decades, swept away for newer architectural visions, the Dakota still stands. The author's primary research delivers fascinating details culled from period newspapers, architectural drawings, and in-process construction and other historical photos of the building and neighborhood. Although many celebrities (notably John Lennon and Yoko Ono) have called the Dakota home, Alpern focuses on the building itself, the development of the surrounding neighborhood, and the previous innovative apartment designs that helped inspire the Dakota. VERDICT Readers will become engrossed in the grandiose visions and architectural innovations that grew out of an environment characterized by extremes of wealth and poverty.