An in-depth look at how and why people build, from early times to today, for middle school and high school readers. The book explains the development of building materials and design and identifies the key technological advances that have made it possible to build structures that are bigger or 'green' buildings that minimize their impact on the environment. The book also looks at the evolution of life-transforming innovations for the home. Includes definitions of science words, sidebars, timeline, glossary, further resources, and index.