Autobiography of a Skyscraper

A highly original inside look at how vision becomes reality in constructing the modern urban landscape.

Building a skyscraper requires more than steel and concrete—it takes a wide array of people, each with their particular skills. In Autobiography of a Skyscraper, legendary developer Francis Greenburger offers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the construction of Chicago's 1000M tower, describing the way almost 1,000 people—from concrete workers to concierges, architects to investors—transformed an empty lot into a 74-story landmark.

“Real estate isn't about property; it's about people,” Greenburger reflects in this book that, throughout, underscores his point. This is the story of an Italian immigrant who bet his family's entire inheritance on a hole in the ground; of window installers dancing on narrow ledges 800 feet above Michigan Avenue; of a chief concierge managing a community of 700 residents across 80,000 square feet of amenities; and of the safety manager who "babysits grown men" to keep them safe hundreds of feet in the air. These and dozens more stories turn the spotlight on the extraordinary people who brought 1000M to life and keep it running today.

The story unfolds with cinematic scope—helicopter shoots for marketing renderings, midnight crane installations, the delicate negotiation of moving a 5,000-pound marble sculpture through a lobby before the revolving doors are installed. Yet it never loses sight of the human scale: the leasing agent explaining why closet space matters more than square footage, the chief engineer worried about scuff marks on hand-applied Venetian plaster, the resident finding inner peace playing Bach on the communal grand piano.

Autobiography of a Skyscraper arrives at a moment when cities worldwide are grappling with questions of growth, community, and what it means to build for the future. Through the lens of one remarkable building, Greenburger and Paley have created both a paean to the collaborative spirit of urban creation and an intimate portrait of how, against all odds, a vision can become reality.

About the author

Francis Greenburger is an American real estate developer, literary agent, author, philanthropist, and activist. As the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Time Equities Inc., he oversees a multibillion-dollar real estate firm that owns, manages, and develops a portfolio of properties in the U.S., Caribbean, Canada, and Europe. Francis is also the chairman of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, a literary agency founded by his father, representing authors such as Dan Brown and Brad Thor. A long-standing supporter of the arts, he established Art Omi International Arts Center, a nonprofit residency and sculpture park in upstate New York for international visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians, and architects. Most recently, he founded The Greenburger Justice Center, which advocates for reforms to the criminal and civil justice and mental health systems.

Rebecca Paley is a New York Times number one best-selling author of memoirs and other books—including her first collaboration with Francis, Risk Game. Her work has also appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Mother Jones, and ARTnews. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children. 

Summary

The magnitude of error in building a skyscraper is staggeringly large. Flaws in engineering take on exponential importance with every level you go up. The cost of mistakes can easily multiply into tens of millions of dollars. If a piece of plywood isn’t secured properly and flies off the deck, someone down below might end up dead. That’s the horror of the business. It’s also the beauty.

Autobiography of a Skyscraper—documenting in both words and pictures the making of 1000M, a 74-story gleaming tower in the heart of Chicago—is the story of the most dynamic workplace one could ever imagine. From the financiers who secure the many hundreds of millions of dollars needed for construction to the installers who jump atop the window frames from nearly a thousand feet up in the air, hundreds of people work together in the miracle of organization that is building a skyscraper. It is an orchestra, where no matter how small the part, everyone must play in tune and together.

The conductor of this particular orchestra is Francis Greenburger, a real estate titan with nearly half a century of investing in and developing properties around the world. However, just as 1000M was built by a wide array of skills, so Autobiography of a Skyscraper weaves the personal accounts of many of those involved into a single narrative of how a tower rises. Unlike traditional books on architecture and construction, it marries instructive and technical elements with the intimacy and pace of a memoir.

Architecture or urban planning buffs will be given a wide lens into understanding the impact of their work. For the casual reader, they will see the extent to which there’s a gripping story behind every building in the sky. Autobiography of a Skyscraper will not only serve as a written record of this significant architectural addition to Chicago, but also as a blueprint for real estate developers, financial institutions, architects, city planners, designers, construction workers, and anybody else interested in what it takes to change a city’s skyline.

Foreword

• Promotional efforts to all major audiences, including real estate community and developers, architectural community, urban planners, construction and labor trade unions, Chicago residents, academic communities (real estate, architectural, urban planning, engineering programs, construction managements, MBAs), and more.


• Contact individuals and media that expressed interest in Francis’ previous book, Risk Game. Endorsers for Risk Game include Fred Wilson (Twitter: 682K followers), Congressman Jerry Nadler (Twitter: 448K followers), Senator Cory Booker (Twitter: 195K followers), and others.


• Promote book through the networks of the major companies and individuals involved in the project, which include JAHN architectural firm, Rebecca Paley, Time Equities Strategic Partners, various Chicago politicians, and the list of tradespeople and professionals interviewed in the book and their corresponding unions and/or companies with PR contacts.


• Coordinate the broadcasting of video interviews with Francis Greenburger (and possibly other stakeholders, some construction workers. etc.) to discuss 1000M, its construction, the book writing process, and more.


• Offer pre-release/pre-order copies through various promotional partnerships which include, Alliance for Downtown New York, Art Omi, Baruch Real Estate Advisory Board for the Department, Lavigny Writer’s Residency, Lincoln Center Real Estate and Construction Council, Little Red Schoolhouse/Elizabeth Irwin High School Board of Trustees, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, MASS MoCa, NYU Real estate Institute Advisory Board, NY Edge, Bennington College, and PEN American Center.


• Re-design francisgreenburger.com so that it focuses on the new book. Purchase “autobiographyofaskyscraper.com” domain and direct to francisgreenburger.com website where the book will be advertised.


• Create a media kit that includes high-resolution book cover images, Francis Greenburger's bio, book synopsis, sample chapters, and relevant quotes. Make kit easily accessible on francisgreenburger.com. Host webinars, live Q&A sessions, or virtual workshops related to the book's themes. Partner with industry experts or organizations to co-host these events and increase visibility.

Product details

• Authors: Francis Greenburger, Paley Rebecca
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 10.02.2026
• EAN: 9781682195161
• ISBN: 978-1-68219-516-1
• No. of pages: 300
• Illustrations: Photographs throughout
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Architecture; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Individual industrial sectors, branches; Chicago, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Business, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Real Estate / General, Autobiography: business & industry, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Construction / General, Property & real estate, Construction industry, Architecture: residential and domestic buildings, Autobiography: business and industry, Property and real estate, Construction & building industry, Construction and building industry