The Cloudbase Chronicles - Life at the Top Living and Working at Chicago's John Hancock Center - An Engineer's Tale.

Since its completion in 1969, the John Hancock Center has ranked among the world's most exclusive addresses. Home to some of Chicago's loftiest, most extravagant condominiums, this city-within-a-building is off-limits to all but the very wealthy and well connected. Now, Harry W. Budge III-the building's chief engineer-takes you inside "Big John" as he describes high-rise living as you've never experienced.The Cloudbase Chronicles: Life at the Top details Budge's very public life as the building's go-to guy for everything from bomb threats to plumbing mishaps to missing pets. As he rushes to solve emergencies both imagined (helping a resident figure out a food processor) and real (quashing an illicit nudist pool party), Budge explores the human side of what it takes to make this high-rise run. The memorable cast of residents, staffers and real estate agents who populate it reveals a building that pulses with vibrancy and life-and more than a few hilarious situations.At the same time, The Cloudbase Chronicles explores issues of wealth and class, as Budge's dual citizenship-as on-premises resident and "servant"-often complicates his relationship with his neighbors. What emerges is an eye-opening account that will change your perspective on this global icon-and skyscrapers in general-forever.