This book is an examination of the modern history of the office. It is an unusual approach in that the book tackles the history from the perspective of the office as real estate and its position within the evolving office economy (aka the service sector). It is the relationship between the built space and the activities that it accommodates, which provides the raw material for the book. Our own understanding of the role of the office in cities and the modern economy, the people who design, build and own them, the organisations that occupy and manage them and the nature of the space itself, are the areas that are tackled. In doing so, the book provides an insight into the otherwise relatively little-known world of commercial property its actors, its processes, its products and its customers. It is highly informative. It is a good blend of technical insight and social/historical context. It provides a context to day-to-day decision making. It offers a novel idea and takes an unusual perspective. It takes a systemic approach to a market and an industry that have not been examined in this way before.