* "Serious and rigorous, the book furnishes a gimlet-eyed glimpse of San Francisco's continuing struggles — and what lies beneath them."
-- Ian Volner, New York Times Book Review
* "This is a book of great charm … (by) a stylish writer with an eye for the delightful detail. He lovingly recounts the restoration of the Ferry Building and celebrates its new role in the city.…"
-- John Buntin, Wall Street Journal
* "John King has given us a vivid history of the San Francisco Ferry Building, covering everything from its (disastrous yet enduring) original sunk-timber construction to its weird current position as conservative media avatar of San Francisco's liberal dystopia ... King, of course, tells all this expertly."
-- 48 Hills
* "King draws upon a deep understanding of architectural theory and the social history of his city to deliver an informative, entertaining and engaging book ... the Ferry Building has been many different places over the course of its history. In Portal, King gives us every reason to think it'll still be more yet."
-- Spencer Fleury, Spectrum Culture
* "Fascinating insights into San Francisco history and the transformation of other waterfront cities."
-- Kirkus Reviews
* "At once a detailed description of a specific place and a universally applicable model for writing about cities. As King writes, 'Every city has a landmark like this, a building through which one can read the larger history' ... Portal shows how an analysis of the rise, decline, and rebirth of one iconic building can reveal the character and history of a city."
-- Planetizen
* "Vibrant. . . an illuminating architectural and social history."
-- Publishers Weekly