Mass tourism has become one of the most highly developed and fastest growing industries. This lavishly photographed book examines, albeit selectively, the rise and rise of resort architecture in Southeast Asia. Many of these sumptuous enclaves, designed for an unabashedly hedonistic lifestyle, have an enigmatic presence in the pristine environments in which they are located. Like tectonic mirages in exotic sites, these sybaritic havens are both theatrical and stage set-like, exuding a blissful serenity and meditative quality. The book is the first to showcase the burgeoning variety of these beguiling resorts. The architectural resolution, based on traditional skills, invariably necessitates the involvement of traditional craftsmen. The result is usually an exquisitely well-crafted resort that is a tribute to timeless craftsmanship and fine artisanry. Although some are besotted with nostalgia and couched in the plaintive terms of "tradition" and "identity", many offer a...