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Networks of New York
by Ingrid Burrington • 2016
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
3.80
232
Networks of New York Summary
Networks of New York 91%
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
by Ingrid Burrington 2016
3.80
232 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 89%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
Extrastatecraft
by Keller Easterling • 2014
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
3.68
410
Extrastatecraft Summary
Extrastatecraft 89%
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
by Keller Easterling 2014
3.68
410 ratings
The Road Taken
by Henry Petroski • 2016
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
3.44
529
The Road Taken Summary
The Road Taken 89%
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
by Henry Petroski 2016
3.44
529 ratings
Fiber
by Susan P. Crawford • 2018
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
3.87
159
Fiber Summary
Fiber 88%
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
by Susan P. Crawford 2018
3.87
159 ratings
The Reality Bubble
by Ziya Tong • 2019
You see 0.0035% of the light spectrum. The remaining 99.9965% hides how the world really works.
4.18
1k+
The Reality Bubble Summary
The Reality Bubble 88%
You see 0.0035% of the light spectrum. The remaining 99.9965% hides how the world really works.
by Ziya Tong 2019
4.18
1k+ ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
937
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works 88%
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023
3.64
937 ratings
Civil Engineering
by David Muir Wood • 2012
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
3.61
137
Civil Engineering Summary
Civil Engineering 88%
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
by David Muir Wood 2012
3.61
137 ratings
Lights Out
by Ted Koppel • 2015
A grid cyberattack could kill most Americans in a year; no agency has a plan.
3.71
6k+
Lights Out Summary
Lights Out 88%
A grid cyberattack could kill most Americans in a year; no agency has a plan.
by Ted Koppel 2015
3.71
6k+ ratings
Maintenance of Everything
by Stewart Brand • 2026
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
4.00
516
Maintenance of Everything Summary
Maintenance of Everything 88%
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
by Stewart Brand 2026
4.00
516 ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 87%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
Road to Nowhere
by Paris Marx • 2022
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
4.16
643
Road to Nowhere Summary
Road to Nowhere 87%
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
by Paris Marx 2022
4.16
643 ratings
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson • 2014
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
4.12
16k+
How We Got to Now Summary
How We Got to Now 87%
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
by Steven Johnson 2014
4.12
16k+ ratings
The Big Thirst
by Charles Fishman • 2010
For a century, water was too cheap to notice. That era ended, and we didn't see it coming.
3.94
2k+
The Big Thirst Summary
The Big Thirst 87%
For a century, water was too cheap to notice. That era ended, and we didn't see it coming.
by Charles Fishman 2010
3.94
2k+ ratings
Material World
by Ed Conway • 2023
Six buried materials hold up modern life. The clean energy shift means digging more, not less.
4.5
9k+
Material World Summary
Material World 87%
Six buried materials hold up modern life. The clean energy shift means digging more, not less.
by Ed Conway 2023
4.5
9k+ ratings
Against the smart city
by Adam Greenfield • 2013
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
3.96
132
Against the smart city Summary
Against the smart city 87%
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
by Adam Greenfield 2013
3.96
132 ratings
The Systems Bible
by John Gall • 1977
Every system malfunctions and fights its own purpose. The counterintuitive guide to surviving them.
3.99
1k+
The Systems Bible Summary
The Systems Bible 87%
Every system malfunctions and fights its own purpose. The counterintuitive guide to surviving them.
by John Gall 1977
3.99
1k+ ratings
Engineers of Dreams
by Henry Petroski • 1995
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
3.78
166
Engineers of Dreams Summary
Engineers of Dreams 87%
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
by Henry Petroski 1995
3.78
166 ratings
Dragnet Nation
by Julia Angwin • 2014
A journalist tried to opt out of digital surveillance for a year. The system refused.
3.68
659
Dragnet Nation Summary
Dragnet Nation 87%
A journalist tried to opt out of digital surveillance for a year. The system refused.
by Julia Angwin 2014
3.68
659 ratings
Breakneck
by Dan Wang • 2025
China's leaders trained as engineers. America's as lawyers. The world is shaped by the difference.
4.09
11k+
Breakneck Summary
Breakneck 87%
China's leaders trained as engineers. America's as lawyers. The world is shaped by the difference.
by Dan Wang 2025
4.09
11k+ ratings
The Anarchist In The Library
by Siva Vaidhyanathan • 2004
The web set free-sharing anarchists against control-hungry oligarchs, and neither side is winning.
3.50
175
The Anarchist In The Library Summary
The Anarchist In The Library 87%
The web set free-sharing anarchists against control-hungry oligarchs, and neither side is winning.
by Siva Vaidhyanathan 2004
3.50
175 ratings
Panama Fever
by Matthew Parker • 2007
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
3.80
920
Panama Fever Summary
Panama Fever 87%
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
by Matthew Parker 2007
3.80
920 ratings
Underland
by Robert Macfarlane • 2019
Fungal networks, catacombs, nuclear tombs: the vast underground that shapes our fate and our future.
4.22
22k+
Underland Summary
Underland 87%
Fungal networks, catacombs, nuclear tombs: the vast underground that shapes our fate and our future.
by Robert Macfarlane 2019
4.22
22k+ ratings
The Grid
by Gretchen Bakke • 2016
The clean-energy future depends on a century-old machine that was never designed to handle it.
3.86
5k+
The Grid Summary
The Grid 87%
The clean-energy future depends on a century-old machine that was never designed to handle it.
by Gretchen Bakke 2016
3.86
5k+ ratings
Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 87%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
The Art of Invisibility
by Kevin D. Mitnick • 2017
From encrypted messages to burner devices, a hacker guide to vanishing from always-on surveillance.
3.98
5k+
The Art of Invisibility Summary
The Art of Invisibility 87%
From encrypted messages to burner devices, a hacker guide to vanishing from always-on surveillance.
by Kevin D. Mitnick 2017
3.98
5k+ ratings
The Longest Line on the Map
by Eric Rutkow • 2019
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
3.04
258
The Longest Line on the Map Summary
The Longest Line on the Map 87%
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
by Eric Rutkow 2019
3.04
258 ratings
Concrete Planet
by Robert Courland • 2011
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
3.89
218
Concrete Planet Summary
Concrete Planet 87%
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
by Robert Courland 2011
3.89
218 ratings
The Smart Enough City
by Ben Green • 2019
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
4.12
208
The Smart Enough City Summary
The Smart Enough City 87%
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
by Ben Green 2019
4.12
208 ratings
The Data Center Builder's Bible - Book 1
by Art Carapola • 2018
Break ground without these requirements defined, and your data center budget bleeds for years.
4.67
9
The Data Center Builder's Bible - Book 1 Summary
The Data Center Builder's Bible - Book 1 87%
Break ground without these requirements defined, and your data center budget bleeds for years.
by Art Carapola 2018
4.67
9 ratings
The Right to Oblivion
by Lowry Pressly • 2024
Privacy isn't about controlling your data. It's about keeping whole regions of life unrecordable.
4.01
254
The Right to Oblivion Summary
The Right to Oblivion 87%
Privacy isn't about controlling your data. It's about keeping whole regions of life unrecordable.
by Lowry Pressly 2024
4.01
254 ratings
Uses of Disorder
by Richard Sennett • 1970
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
3.88
258
Uses of Disorder Summary
Uses of Disorder 86%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 ratings
Pipe Dreams
by Chelsea Wald • 2021
The flush toilet wastes water, pollutes rivers, and fails billions. Meet the people reinventing it.
4.04
427
Pipe Dreams Summary
Pipe Dreams 86%
The flush toilet wastes water, pollutes rivers, and fails billions. Meet the people reinventing it.
by Chelsea Wald 2021
4.04
427 ratings
India’s Railway Man
by Rajendra B. Aklekar • 2017
Bridge: 46 days. Mountain railway: 7 years. The values that built modern India on schedule.
3.85
249
India’s Railway Man Summary
India’s Railway Man 86%
Bridge: 46 days. Mountain railway: 7 years. The values that built modern India on schedule.
by Rajendra B. Aklekar 2017
3.85
249 ratings
Network Warrior
by Gary A. Donahue • 2007
Spanning tree, auto-negotiation, EtherChannel: the real networking knowledge certification skipped.
4.19
433
Network Warrior Summary
Network Warrior 86%
Spanning tree, auto-negotiation, EtherChannel: the real networking knowledge certification skipped.
by Gary A. Donahue 2007
4.19
433 ratings
We Are Anonymous
by Parmy Olson • 2012
The internet's most notorious hacker collective was run by an FBI informant for eight months.
3.97
3k+
We Are Anonymous Summary
We Are Anonymous 86%
The internet's most notorious hacker collective was run by an FBI informant for eight months.
by Parmy Olson 2012
3.97
3k+ ratings
The Alchemy of Us
by Ainissa Ramirez • 2020
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
3.90
1k+
The Alchemy of Us Summary
The Alchemy of Us 86%
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
by Ainissa Ramirez 2020
3.90
1k+ ratings
Behind the Screen
by Sarah T. Roberts • 2019
The open internet is a myth: a hidden workforce decides what you see, for a hidden price.
3.65
168
Behind the Screen Summary
Behind the Screen 86%
The open internet is a myth: a hidden workforce decides what you see, for a hidden price.
by Sarah T. Roberts 2019
3.65
168 ratings
"I Have Nothing to Hide"
by Heidi Boghosian • 2021
Mass surveillance survives on one belief: privacy is for wrongdoers. Twenty myths keep it expanding.
3.64
191
"I Have Nothing to Hide" Summary
"I Have Nothing to Hide" 86%
Mass surveillance survives on one belief: privacy is for wrongdoers. Twenty myths keep it expanding.
by Heidi Boghosian 2021
3.64
191 ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 86%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
Liquid Surveillance
by Zygmunt Bauman • 2012
Surveillance has gone from prison tower to loyalty card: fluid, seductive, and nearly invisible.
3.80
490
Liquid Surveillance Summary
Liquid Surveillance 86%
Surveillance has gone from prison tower to loyalty card: fluid, seductive, and nearly invisible.
by Zygmunt Bauman 2012
3.80
490 ratings
Ninety Percent of Everything
by Rose George • 2013
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
3.79
4k+
Ninety Percent of Everything Summary
Ninety Percent of Everything 86%
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
by Rose George 2013
3.79
4k+ ratings
Building and Dwelling
by Richard Sennett • 2018
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
4.02
983
Building and Dwelling Summary
Building and Dwelling 86%
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
by Richard Sennett 2018
4.02
983 ratings
Ansible
by Lorin Hochstein • 2014
No agents required. Automate configuration and deployment with playbooks you can actually read.
3.88
270
Ansible Summary
Ansible 86%
No agents required. Automate configuration and deployment with playbooks you can actually read.
by Lorin Hochstein 2014
3.88
270 ratings
Google Hacks
by Rael Dornfest • 2003
Hidden syntax, tools, and 800 million Usenet messages: how to find anything with Google.
3.68
301
Google Hacks Summary
Google Hacks 86%
Hidden syntax, tools, and 800 million Usenet messages: how to find anything with Google.
by Rael Dornfest 2003
3.68
301 ratings
Privacy is Power
by Carissa Véliz • 2020
Your data is not the product; it's the toxic spill that's eroding your freedom.
4.02
1k+
Privacy is Power Summary
Privacy is Power 86%
Your data is not the product; it's the toxic spill that's eroding your freedom.
by Carissa Véliz 2020
4.02
1k+ ratings
Broad Band
by Claire L. Evans • 2018
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
3.93
2k+
Broad Band Summary
Broad Band 86%
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
by Claire L. Evans 2018
3.93
2k+ ratings
The World Without Us
by Alan Weisman • 2007
What happens to every city, every nuclear plant, and every plastic bag the moment humans disappear.
3.81
44k+
The World Without Us Summary
The World Without Us 86%
What happens to every city, every nuclear plant, and every plastic bag the moment humans disappear.
by Alan Weisman 2007
3.81
44k+ ratings
Technopoly
by Neil Postman • 1992
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
3.97
5k+
Technopoly Summary
Technopoly 86%
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
by Neil Postman 1992
3.97
5k+ ratings
Future Crimes
by Marc Goodman • 2015
Crime went corporate. The dark web runs like Amazon, and your digital exhaust is its inventory.
3.92
4k+
Future Crimes Summary
Future Crimes 86%
Crime went corporate. The dark web runs like Amazon, and your digital exhaust is its inventory.
by Marc Goodman 2015
3.92
4k+ ratings
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