PENGUIN The Works: Anatomy of a City

One is singularly impressed with how Miss Ascher has covered virtually every aspect of the functioning of one of the world's greatest cities. A great feat.If you love figures, facts and understanding of how a modern city functions (often in ways one couldn't imagine), this tremendously interesting book is a must.PS. Naturally, some of the numbers have to be adjusted since their original compilation.

Just as I was expecting

I love books like this, that explode both graphically and in words what goes on in, around, and under something. As with all of Ascher's volumes so far, this is along a similar line with lots of graphics (really well done!) and good readable descriptions to accompany the graphics. The subject of this volume, of course, is the city, and what goes on underground, in the buildings, the roads, and the infrastructure of a metropolis.Younger kids will like the pictures, which are descriptive and explanatory enough that they won't have to read all the text to understand. Adults will like the descriptions in words, which cover all you could need from such a book. I like the two together! While this isn't the first of such a narrative book (and the subject of cities has been tackled in similar books in the best), this one puts it all together, well, just right! Other books I've seen are much heavier on the graphics and lighter on the text, which means some of the detail is lost. The graphics here are a support to the text, and there are quite a few, but I found myself wanting even more!There's lots of basic information here, all fascinating, but it's the little nuggets of information about something associated with the city that makes this volume an interesting read. Whether you're settling in for an extended reading session, or just skimming a couple of pages to pass a wee bit of idle time, you'll learn something. And, after all, isn't both education and entertainment the reason we read?The graphics are well done, which helps the narrative flow. By breaking things down, and looking at them individually, you can then appreciate the beauty or function of the larger picture, and Ascher dives into the nitty-gritty (sometimes literally) very well. When I first saw these books on the shelves, I assumed they were for a teen audience, but I bought one anyway. Just glancing through that one book had me here on Amazon buying all of the author's works, and each has been a winner. Strongly recommended both for its educational and entertainment value; these books make ideal coffee table volumes, as well as bed-side reading.

Libro recomendable para ingenieros, arquitectos, diseñadores, curiosos. Inforgrafias, estadisticas, informacion. Nos explica la infraestructura que involucra a una ciudad, electricidad, agua, desperdicios, transporte. Todo profusamente ilustrado y explicado de manera eficaz y entretenida.Como antiiguo jugador de un juego de PC llamado Sim City, este libro es una maravilla.

This book must be read together with two other books by the same author - Heights Anatomy of a Skyscraper and The Way To Go. The three give an all round 360* view of the infrastructure we live and utilise. Should not be read in one go but in installments and with the connected parts in the other two books.