Matthys Levy is founding principal and chairman emeritus of Thornton Tomasetti (formerly Weidlinger Associates), Consulting Engineers. He is the designer of many iconic buildings and other structures throughout the world, and author of several nonfiction books. His previous book include Why Buildings Fall Down, Structual Designs in Architecture, Why the Earth Quakes, Why the Wind Blows, Earthquake Games, and Engineering in the City. Building Eden is Levy's first novel, a thriller with subject matter he is intimately familiar with. A promising architect, Philip Corta, has the opportunity of a lifetime, the design of a major office/residential complex on New York's west side, The Eden Center. The project endures many major setbacks resulting from the arrogance and shallow-minded behavior of the developer, corruption in City Hall, sabotage and murder by organized criminals, and recurring uncertainties about financing. D.