"Why LA? Pourquoi PARIS?"

"When you fall in love with a city, it is forever." Toni Morrison 

This unique book is about exploring Paris and Los Angeles, a mixing and pairing of yesterday and today, the monumental and the everyday, the people and things, all shared through text and illustrations that tell the stories of these two very different, yet similar, cities.


For the first time, the cities of Los Angeles and Paris are illustrated in parallel. "Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?" represents a visionary approach to a comparative study of two major, contemporary metropolises. As a long-time resident of both cities and a successful entrepreneur, author Diane Ratican curates visual pairings of Los Angeles and Paris with a newfound appreciation for their similarities, differences and eccentricities.

"Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?" features full-color illustrations by famed artists Eric Giriat (Paris) and Nick Lu (Los Angeles), highlighting the Yin-Yang relationship of everyday life between two of the worlds great cities.

 Primarily an art book, this visual publication playfully connects the dots between respective architectural icons, historical legends, fashion trends, and cultural peculiarities. With the added benefit of historic information, cultural trivia, and a guide to the authors favorite addresses,

 "Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?" is a unique visual guide for visitors to Los Angeles and/or Paris who want to experience the cultural milieu of these two distinguished cities." 

My Thoughts...

Having never visited either of these cities, I looked forward to viewing this book. I always enjoy vacationing in my easy chair, and I found this book a treat to read, and yes their are a lot of illustrations which I found fascinating like the example below...

This is illustrations of the famous SUNSET STRIP in LA, and the one on the right is CHAMPS-ELYSEES in PARIS. The book is full of many comparisons from the beginning to the end of the book. I found it a delight to read and thoroughly enjoyed all the pictures.

Just some very short reading samples from the book...

"Paris: The City of light has been written about, painted and photographed more than any other city on earth, and for good reason. The incredible architecture of Paris comes together, in an almost mystical way, to form an ordered whole...Paris has justly been called The City of Light because light is one of the magical manifestations of its dazzling physical beauty, and a metaphor for it eternally luminous spirit...Paris is a world unto itself."

"LA: The City of Angels is much more than the stereotypical image of Hollywood glamour, celebrity, and fantasy. The real Los Angeles is a large, diversified metropolitan area that has traded urban centralization for suburban sprawl. LA is immense. The city is home to almost four million people, the second largest urban area in the nation...It wouldn't be LA without the towering palm trees. The tall Mexican fan palms line many of the streets of the city and are a symbol of LA's lush, sun-soaked lifestyle. They serve as constant reminders of the wonderful climate and create quiet harmony with nature."

A big THANK YOU to the publishers who provided this book for me to read and give an honest review.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and authors I am under no obligation to write a positive review.