Contemporary Follies showcases outstanding examples of contemporary design that address our place in nature, emerging from the Enlightenment spirit of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson, the English picturesque folly, and the forest retreats of the Scandinavian modernists. Fifty projects are featured, including work by internationally recognized firms such as Arata Isozaki & Associates, Heatherwick Studios, Patkau Architects, Steven Ehrlich Architects, TEN Arquitectos as well as innovative young studios in the United States and abroad. An engaging introduction by noted architectural and social historian Witold Rybczynski traces the history of the folly and its role as a place apart that offers solace and pleasure.