The Works

Anatomy of a City

Kate Ascher

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The Works" by Kate Ascher is an engaging exploration of the complex infrastructure that keeps our modern cities functioning. Through clear and concise prose, Ascher takes readers on a captivating journey beneath the surface, uncovering the intricate networks of transportation, communication, water, power, and waste management systems that make urban life possible.

In each chapter, Ascher delves into a different aspect of urban infrastructure, detailing the inner workings of subway systems, highways, airports, telephone networks, electrical grids, and sewer systems. Drawing from extensive research and interviews with experts, she presents a wealth of fascinating information, accompanied by insightful illustrations and diagrams that elucidate the complex systems in a visually accessible way.

From the abandoned tunnels beneath New York City to the futuristic ideas for sustainable city planning, Ascher's book offers a comprehensive yet concise overview of the invisible backbone that sustains our modern cities. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for distilling complex concepts into understandable terms, she brings these hidden networks to life, inspiring readers to develop a deeper appreciation for the intricate web of infrastructure all around them.

"The Works" is a must-read for anyone curious about the infrastructural marvels that power our urban centers. Whether you are an urban planner, a transportation enthusiast, or simply someone interested in how cities operate, Ascher's book serves as an invaluable guide, shedding light on the hidden mechanisms that enable our bustling cities to function seamlessly.

Explore More Books

See All
Hackers
A Good Man
The Trial
Secrets of Power Negotiating
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
We Wish To Inform You
Accidental Presidents
A History of Rome
Flow
Power Failure
The Diamond Age
The Pattern Seekers
Virtual Society
End The Fed
Artificial Intelligence
The Fever
The Aeneid
The Iliad
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Energy Myths and Realities
Civilized to Death
Applied Minds
Superintelligence
Sex, Ecology, Spirituality
America's War for the Greater Middle East
Tao of Philosophy
Rick and Morty Book Four
The Crisis of Global Capitalism
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
The Virgin Suicides
The Four
Super Pumped
The 48 Laws of Power
True Believer
For the Love of the Land
Clocks and Culture
Atomic Habits
The Two-Parent Privelege
Psychopolitics
The Information
The Gospel of Wealth
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Beginning Of Infinity
The World We Have Lost
But What If We're Wrong?
Capitalism Without Capital
The Captive Mind
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time
The Jordan Rules
The Gutsy Girl
Prelude to Foundation
Fermat's Enigma
The Heart
Hyperion
Farmer's Progress
Reality Is Not What It Seems
The Second Mountain
The Third Wave
Who Really Matters
The Right Call
That Will Never Work
Think on These Things
The Great Gatsby
Schulz and Peanuts
Academically Adrift
It's All Too Much
The Outsiders
Trump
The Book of Awakening
History of the World
When The Heavens Went on Sale
The Making of an American Thinking Class
The Dip
The Tiger
From Headless Chicken to Golden Goose
Andy Grove
Explaining Social Behavior
Sapiens
No Applause - Just Throw Money
The 4 Hour Work Week
The Female Brain
The Middleman
The AI Revolution in Medicine
Flu
Hackers and Painters
Folk Devils and Moral Panics
The French Revolution and What Went Wrong
The Accidental Universe
Hooked
Dapper Dan
The Time Machine
Red Notice
Necessary Dreams
The Jungle Book
The Great Crash of 1929
Virus of the Mind
Drunk Tank Pink
Trader Vic
Liberating Learning
The Man Who Invented Fidel