Ever wonder how the pyramids were constructed? Or the great cathedrals of Europe? Or the castles that housed royalty in medieval England. David Macaulay, who began wondering about such things when he was a boy, has made a career of writing and illustrating books that show in intimate detail the ins and outs of these intriguing historical marvels.

On Wednesday, April 7, Macaulay will come to the Cornell University campus to deliver the spring 1999 Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Alice Statler Auditorium. His talk is titled "Seeing Things: Confessions of a Bookmaker."

Macaulay was born in Burton-on-Trent, England, and may have drawn some of his inspiration as an illustrator from the centuries-old tradition of grand historical edifices of his birthplace. As a young boy he came to the United States, where he exhibited a flair for draftsmanship and a fascination with the inner workings of things. He went on to study drawing and architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and was awarded a B.Arch. degree from that institution.

Using only pen and ink plus impressive skills in drafting and drawing, he created his first how-things-work book, Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, in 1973. It was an instant success. Since then he has produced such best sellers as The Way Things Work; Pyramid; Castle; City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction and most recently The New Way Things Work,

Characterized by superb design and illustration and clearly presented information, the books have been translated into a dozen languages, including Japanese and Swedish, and have earned Macaulay international acclaim with a broad audience that includes 7-year-olds, septuagenarians and everyone in between.

"What he draws É he draws better than any other pen-and-ink illustrator in the world," wrote a Time magazine reporter.

Macaulay commented on what motivates him to deconstruct, so to speak, the world's great edifices so that others can find out for themselves what makes them work: "I'm concerned with how constructions are made and what their effects are on people and their lives."

Macaulay's Olin lecture is open to the public by ticket only. Tickets are free and are available now at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office and the Graduate School, 150 Caldwell Hall, and, if any are left, at the door.

The Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Lecture Series began at Cornell in 1986 when the Olin Foundation established an endowment to support graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional ability and promise. As part of their experience, the Olin fellows select and host a lecture by a distinguished intellectual annually. In addition to delivering a talk to a general audience, the Olin lecturer usually meets with the fellows in informal seminars and social events. Previous Olin lecturers have included Noam Chomsky, Isabel Allende, Stephen Jay Gould, Lani Guinier, Kurt Vonnegut, Jane Goodall and Susan Faludi.