em_reads_books's review
4.0
What a cool book! It reminds me of those David Macaulay books I loved exploring as a kid, but this is definitely for adults. It's not difficult to understand, but the author doesn't shy away from getting into explanations of engineering concepts and also some of the basic physics and chemistry behind energy inputs and transmission. The field guide style photos and captions are the highlight, but his writing is clear and interesting.
Of course, some things I wanted to read about (construction equipment! subways!) were missing, but this is already a good 500-some pages on hefty photo-quality paper, so the line has to be drawn somewhere. What's there is very fun and answers questions I didn't know I had.
Of course, some things I wanted to read about (construction equipment! subways!) were missing, but this is already a good 500-some pages on hefty photo-quality paper, so the line has to be drawn somewhere. What's there is very fun and answers questions I didn't know I had.
allynfolksjr's review
5.0
Infrastructure is a field manual and background text on all of the infrastructure that define our modern industrial landscape. Hayes has an eye for pointing out the significance of otherwise overlooked parts of what we see every day, and weaves together a cohesive picture of our processes.
jameseckman's review
3.0
Strictly for techno nerds, if looking at photos of industrial equipment isn't your thing, you won't like this. On the other hand, if you drive by things and wonder "What's that?" it's a nice introduction and coffee table book.
loppear's review
4.0
Fantastically broad spotters guide to modern interventions in the landscape, and overview of the design and engineering choices that have led to certain forms and systems appearing throughout (mostly American, but not exclusively). Most interesting and pervasive are the full-system tours of mining/refining/agriculture, power generation, and water / waste infrastructure, focusing on the components you can recognize from everyday travels.
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