Oscar

When you look over the skyline of Atlanta, Georgia...you see Oscar. When you walk through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport...you see Oscar. When you travel through Metropolitan Atlanta's Rapid Transit Authority stations, including the world's tallest escalator...you see Oscar. When you see the springing rings of water and sparkles of light from Centennial Olympic Park...you see Oscar. All of this and much more, represent the vision, dream and accomplishments of one of the greatest architects in modern history, Oscar L. Harris, Jr. in a no-holds barred new book, "Oscar: The Memoir of a Master Architect". In his more than 40 years of experience, Oscar tells all of his time in a field where few, particularly African Americans, have succeeded. Oscar frankly explains how he went from a rambunctious child to a pioneer creator of some of the most prominent works of architecture in the country. Many of the stories are very raw and real, but reflect the passion, aspirations and determination of a true artist who turned his creative energies into tangible works of beauty and substance. Oscar gives you the behind-the-scenes candor of what it took to make it in an era and a time when African Americans were denied and insulted. He explains how he built his business, Turner Associates, from nothing to one of the most successful and diverse firms in America. Oscar lays it all on the table as he gives insight into what it took to revitalize Underground Atlanta, rebuild major government buildings and justice centers, retail centers, create "the look" of the 1996 Olympic Games and so much more. But, it doesn't end there; Oscar reveals what he envisions for the future and what it is going to take to get us there. He offers revolutionary solutions to issues, and presents them with compassion and understanding. After reading this book, you will know why there is only one Oscar!