A new book by Philip Nobel chronicles the messy process of coming up with a design for something at the World Trade Center site. “A decade or two from now, New York City will have gotten what it wants and deserves – not a magnificent citadel but a patchwork of pragmatism, profitability and symbols. One day the World Trade Center site will bear the traces of its history – not just the epochal events, but also the pettier chronicle of craven compromises, showdowns and power plays.”