Beauty can be found, easily, all around us and in so many different forms--natural or human made. If we stop but for a second, pull our mind from the past and what we should have done or the future to what we plan to do, the beauty, even in simple things, will be so evident around us. In being present, in the moment, one becomes an observer of the world and the many ways it is beautiful. We've curated, in this book, human-made beauty, real-world vignettes of spiral staircases, Stairways to Heaven, from around the world. Of course, these staircases are first functional, then beautiful, and also reflective of changes in epochs, styles, cultures, and aesthetics. We bring you then, Stairways to Heaven featuring staircases from San Diego, California to Riga, Latvia to the Vatican City to Phnom Penh, Vietnam. Our daughters--Amelie (7), Juliet (11), and Genevieve (13)-- believe that you will love this book. We, of course, hope that you will!All Our Best,Francois Picard & Geneva Bacot