When architect Martin Treu lived in Sarasota in the 1980s, he was captivated by the city's vintage signs, especially the glowing neon creatures adorning the old motels along the North Trail. In 1989, Treu helped get a law passed here that protected such landmark signs. Now he's written a book, Signs, Streets and Storefronts, that takes a comprehensive look at the history of signage in American towns. Reviewers are hailing the work as a must-read for students of architecture and urbanism. But even laymen can appreciate such featured images as this one, of Sarasota's Flamingo Colony Motel's now-vanished pink flamingo bathed in the lavender hues of a tropical sunset and reflected in the glimmering pool.

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