Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment

My 5 year old son is obsessed with construction and infrastructure, and I thought this was a good gift for him. What I did not anticipate is my son wanting to read it EVERY NIGHT before bedtime, each time asking to start from the very beginning. It has colorful illustrations on every other page, alternating with monochrome illustrations on every alternate page. I also did not anticipate my husband and I to sneak this book our of my son's room in the evenings, to read it ourselves. Only to wake up to an upset child who can't find his favorite book! It explains complex concepts in easy to understand language that I can then retell my 5 year old. It doesn't treat a reader as a 5 year old, rather explaining things clearly and plainly without making them childish and too generalized. I would recommend to anyone, now I have a renewed interest in looking around for electric poles wiring, storm drains and train tracks. Not just a fun book, but adds fun to your everyday life by making you pay attention to little noticed things that make our world run.

I changed careers four years ago from working in hotels to being a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. It's been the best thing ever and since working in this field, I've been awakened to all the little details I "didn't see" the first 30 years of my life. Drains, pipes, dams, even the angle of urban and rural roads all have a purpose that is engineered to be hidden from day-to-day life. Being curious about all things infrastructure, I stumbled upon Grady's Youtube channel and I was hooked. When I found out he was releasing a book, I pre-ordered it and am so glad I did. This is by far my favorite book and I've only been reading it a day! Paging through it makes me giddy with excitement seeing what I'm gonna learn about in the near future as I keep reading! I haven't had a book with this much illustration since I was a child, while the accompanying text makes for perfect explanations and down-to-earth examples. It's like getting to peek under the hood of everything that makes the world go. Well done!

I already knew of Grady from his YouTube channel, Practical Engineering, but I would recommend this book even to folks who don't know the first thing about engineering. I am very much not a Math Person, and for years I was very intimidated by the mere idea of engineering. Grady is so talented at explaining the information and making it accessible that I found myself not just learning some basic concepts but enjoying it too. And once I had the book in hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to - as he puts it - explore the constructed environment. We see so much of this stuff, every day! It's almost like a glimpse into a strange world, all the things that make modern life possible - and comfortable! The book is well organized, the illustrations are both informative and in places very amusing (there's a poor unfortunate engineer), and while this is not necessarily aimed at kids, I feel like my ten year old nephew would have NO trouble understanding the material, and would likely enjoy it too!

Great great book. Covers a huge amount of real-life engineering applications. Reading level is at about high-school level, meaning it is accessible for kids 10 and up and sufficiently interesting for adults. Highly recommended!

I love the book. Very informative. Great book to have in the house.

Bought this for a deeper understanding of engineering concepts in everyday life. What I like • The illustrations make complex engineering concepts easy to grasp. • Covers a wide range of topics, providing practical examples of engineering in daily surroundings. • The clear explanations help make engineering more accessible to non-experts. What could be better • Some sections might feel too basic for those already familiar with engineering principles. • Could benefit from more in-depth exploration of specific engineering fields. • The layout could be a bit more organized for easier reference. Bottom line: A great introductory guide to engineering with visual explanations, but may not be detailed enough for experts. Perfect for beginners or anyone curious about the engineering behind everyday objects, but look for more specialized resources if you're looking for deeper knowledge.

Excellent book on civil engineering. Good learning tool about our constructed world. It is written in plain English for a wide age range of readers. Good book for road trips to try and find items in the book. Clear and well thought out illustrations.

This is a great book on the civil engineering world we tend to not pay attention to. My 10 year old grandson borrowed it and has not returned it. He is fascinated and so am I. Well done.

Bought this book after being a subscriber of the author's YT channel for years. Good fun read on a number of engineering fields. Highly recommended if you want to get your kids to fall in love with engineering.

Fascinating - a lovely read (as an nosy and interested amateur)

Must for Non Engineers

わかりやすいイラストです

Interessante Einblicke und gute Erklärung zu unterschiedlichen Ingineursthemen. Das Buch ist natürlich wg. dem US Autor auch stark eingefärbt damit wie Dinge dort gebaut werden. Vieles ist zwar global allgemeingültig, im spezfiischen (etwa Stromversorgung von Stadtvierteln) aber dann doch schon unterschiedlich. Für den grundsätzlichen zusammenhang aber irrelevant und die Bebilderung ist sehr schön gemacht.