Best known in Europe for his controversial glass-and-steel pyramid for the Louvre Museum, I.M. Pei is a celebrated master of modern architecture. Rubalcaba tells the contentious stories behind six of Pei's distinguished buildings, all pivotal points in his illustrious career, inc.: The JFK Presidential Library (Boston), Fragrant Hill Hotel (nr Forbidden City, China), and the Louvre (Paris). Each story, illustrated with drawings, plans, and photographs, follows Pei on his journey - from his search for design inspiration, through the trials of construction, to finished project. Pei once explained his approach to his work as requiring "a full understanding of three elements - time, place, and purpose - to arrive at a perfect balance".