A quirky little book by the renowned artist and children’s book author, Macaulay, was bought for $1 at the Stowe, VT Library used book sale.  With a dedication that reads:  To those of us who don’t always appreciate things until they are gone”, the author presents a condensed history of the building of the Empire State Building’s 86 stories on May 1, 1931 and goes on to create a fictional account of how a Saudi prince buys the Building, has it disassembled by the NYC firm of Krunchit and Sons so it can be shipped back to Riyadh for the headquarters of GRIP (Greater Riyadh Institute of Petroleum).  The details of how an 86 story building in the middle of America’s densest city might be accomplished is beautifully illustrated by Macaulay’s drawings.  The author anticipates the hegemony of Arab oil and its ability to buy up the world.  He also eerily anticipates 9/11. When his proposal to buy and dismantle the Empire State Building is nearly defeated by popular opposition, a preservationist suggests that Ali buy the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center instead.  Macaulay writes:  “In declining the offer, Ali suggested that he would be willing to consider pulling them down as a goodwill gesture.”  Eerie to be sure