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On the Grid: A Plot of Land, An Average Neighborhood, and the Systems that Make Our World Work
A lively, captivating investigation into the infrastructure that makes society possible.
In our daily lives, we’re surrounded by wires, pipes, utility poles, cell phone towers, and a myriad of other infrastructure that facilitate almost everything we do. Even though these systems are essential, when was the last time you gave them much thought? Not only is infrastructure shrouded in mystery, much of it is woefully out of date—bridges are falling, public transportation is overcrowded, and most roads haven’t been updated since the 1950s. In On the Grid, Scott Huler sets out to understand all of the systems that shape our society—from transportation, water, and garbage to the Internet coming through our cable lines.
He begins his entertaining, fascinating journey at his house in Raleigh, North Carolina, and travels everywhere from the inside of a storm water pipe to the sewers of ancient Rome. Each chapter follows one element of infrastructure back to its source. Huler visits power plants, watches new asphalt pavement being laid, and traces a drop of water backward from his faucet to the Gulf of Mexico. He reaches out to guides along the way, both the workers who operate these systems and the people who plan them.
A mesmerizing and hilarious narrative, On the Grid is filled with amazing insights, interviews, and stories that bring an overlooked but indispensable subject to life. You’ll never look at your day the same way again.
In our daily lives, we’re surrounded by wires, pipes, utility poles, cell phone towers, and a myriad of other infrastructure that facilitate almost everything we do. Even though these systems are essential, when was the last time you gave them much thought? Not only is infrastructure shrouded in mystery, much of it is woefully out of date—bridges are falling, public transportation is overcrowded, and most roads haven’t been updated since the 1950s. In On the Grid, Scott Huler sets out to understand all of the systems that shape our society—from transportation, water, and garbage to the Internet coming through our cable lines.
He begins his entertaining, fascinating journey at his house in Raleigh, North Carolina, and travels everywhere from the inside of a storm water pipe to the sewers of ancient Rome. Each chapter follows one element of infrastructure back to its source. Huler visits power plants, watches new asphalt pavement being laid, and traces a drop of water backward from his faucet to the Gulf of Mexico. He reaches out to guides along the way, both the workers who operate these systems and the people who plan them.
A mesmerizing and hilarious narrative, On the Grid is filled with amazing insights, interviews, and stories that bring an overlooked but indispensable subject to life. You’ll never look at your day the same way again.
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First published May 11, 2010
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755 people want to read
About the author
Scott Huler
22 books13 followersScott Huler was born in 1959 in Cleveland and raised in that city's eastern suburbs. He graduated from Washington University in 1981; he was made a member of Phi Beta Kappa because of the breadth of his studies, and that breadth has been a signature of his writing work. He has written on everything from the death penalty to bikini waxing, from NASCAR racing to the stealth bomber, for such newspapers as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Los Angeles Times and such magazines as Backpacker, Fortune, and Child.
-from scotthuler.com
-from scotthuler.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 10, 2011
Infrastructure is interesting, but what really caught my eye about On the Grid was its focus on Raleigh, the city where I live.
The book is organized in chapters about subjects like water, sewage, power, trash collection, road construction, and telecommunications. There's some general facts about each topic, tidbits of its history, and specific examples of how these things work here in Raleigh. The author interviewed and observed numerous local workers, and he presented a good range of information.
I loved the little local touches when he'd bring up familiar places, though often without naming them. I laughed out loud at the mention of a particular brewpub that we visit for its great view of both a train yard and the city skyline - their beer, unfortunately, is mediocre (especially because Raleigh is spoiled for local brewery choice).
There was even a mention of the Light + Time Tower, a piece of public art that, unless they've read about it or it's specifically pointed out to them, most residents believe is some kind of odd little cell phone antenna. The author defends the piece, presumably because having art that you think is some technical thing unless you know it's supposed to be art is somehow celebrating infrastructure. My friends and I make fun of the tower because we're not sure it was the best idea for the city to buy something that reflects distracting colored light at drivers passing the overgrown trees that partially hide the sculpture from view. Though if part of the tower's purpose is to entertain, it serves that function beautifully every time we get to explain to someone not already in-the-know that it's artistic rather than functional.
The historical bits and other anecdotes were the strongest aspects of the book. I really enjoyed those parts, but I'm not sure how much from them I'll really retain. The book did earn extra points for making me exclaim "Thomas Edison was an asshole!" in the middle of my living room. Seriously, though, he was an asshole, this book taught me that the man repeatedly had animals killed (including an elephant) as a marketing gimmick against a rival business idea.
More technical sections of On the Grid tended to become too dry and jargon-heavy for my taste. The author would also occasionally use specialized words and then define them several pages after I'd stopped to look them up. While I could sympathize with the his excitement at some of the things he saw, some passages seemed too awestruck and over the top.
The last chapter occasionally slipped into a preachy tone that the rest of the book avoided, though I may think that partly because of my impression that the author's infrastructure priorities and interests were a little different than mine.
The book is organized in chapters about subjects like water, sewage, power, trash collection, road construction, and telecommunications. There's some general facts about each topic, tidbits of its history, and specific examples of how these things work here in Raleigh. The author interviewed and observed numerous local workers, and he presented a good range of information.
I loved the little local touches when he'd bring up familiar places, though often without naming them. I laughed out loud at the mention of a particular brewpub that we visit for its great view of both a train yard and the city skyline - their beer, unfortunately, is mediocre (especially because Raleigh is spoiled for local brewery choice).
There was even a mention of the Light + Time Tower, a piece of public art that, unless they've read about it or it's specifically pointed out to them, most residents believe is some kind of odd little cell phone antenna. The author defends the piece, presumably because having art that you think is some technical thing unless you know it's supposed to be art is somehow celebrating infrastructure. My friends and I make fun of the tower because we're not sure it was the best idea for the city to buy something that reflects distracting colored light at drivers passing the overgrown trees that partially hide the sculpture from view. Though if part of the tower's purpose is to entertain, it serves that function beautifully every time we get to explain to someone not already in-the-know that it's artistic rather than functional.
The historical bits and other anecdotes were the strongest aspects of the book. I really enjoyed those parts, but I'm not sure how much from them I'll really retain. The book did earn extra points for making me exclaim "Thomas Edison was an asshole!" in the middle of my living room. Seriously, though, he was an asshole, this book taught me that the man repeatedly had animals killed (including an elephant) as a marketing gimmick against a rival business idea.
More technical sections of On the Grid tended to become too dry and jargon-heavy for my taste. The author would also occasionally use specialized words and then define them several pages after I'd stopped to look them up. While I could sympathize with the his excitement at some of the things he saw, some passages seemed too awestruck and over the top.
The last chapter occasionally slipped into a preachy tone that the rest of the book avoided, though I may think that partly because of my impression that the author's infrastructure priorities and interests were a little different than mine.
February 14, 2011
Liking it so far, but god. Where is the copy editor? A 'civic' engineer? Surely you mean civil engineer. The prologue and the first chapter are pretty bad, the others seem better -- scrutinized.
Read past the first two chapters. The proof-reading and the copy-editing does get better, although there are still eye-rolling moments. And the bit about nuclear power obviously wasn't read by anyone with a high-school physics class under their belt, since the alpha particles "go faster than the speed of light in water."
Um.
No.
I learned a few things along the way, it's just too bad that some of the typos and the whoppers cause me to roll my eyes. More fact checking and more first readers and a copy-editor who did the work he was paid for would have helped. A picture or two would also be nice, particularly in the electrical and cable chapters, where a reader would then be able to see these things in the field, rather than reading with google image search at hand.
Read past the first two chapters. The proof-reading and the copy-editing does get better, although there are still eye-rolling moments. And the bit about nuclear power obviously wasn't read by anyone with a high-school physics class under their belt, since the alpha particles "go faster than the speed of light in water."
Um.
No.
I learned a few things along the way, it's just too bad that some of the typos and the whoppers cause me to roll my eyes. More fact checking and more first readers and a copy-editor who did the work he was paid for would have helped. A picture or two would also be nice, particularly in the electrical and cable chapters, where a reader would then be able to see these things in the field, rather than reading with google image search at hand.
March 14, 2017
Infrastructure: sewer, water, power, telephone and other utilities may not seem exciting, but this very readable book makes it interesting. Author Scott Huler writes with wit and self-deprecating humor and has the ability to explain in terms any layman can understand. Ever wondered about poles, wires, and roads in your neighborhood?
Focusing on his home town of Raleigh, NC, Huler takes us inside sewers, drain pipes, a nuclear power plant and everywhere else to explain these systems. He provides useful tidbits - e.g., very few things should be flushed down the toilet or run through the garbage disposal - without being pedantic or condescending. He concludes with a few logical take-aways about infrastructure for the average voter.
Focusing on his home town of Raleigh, NC, Huler takes us inside sewers, drain pipes, a nuclear power plant and everywhere else to explain these systems. He provides useful tidbits - e.g., very few things should be flushed down the toilet or run through the garbage disposal - without being pedantic or condescending. He concludes with a few logical take-aways about infrastructure for the average voter.
May 15, 2016
If modern humans have retained a penchant for magical thinking, little wonder. Our homes accomplish marvels seemingly by the force of will. We want light, we flip a switch. Thirsty? We turn a knob. Bored? Open a laptop, and hey presto – there’s the complete series of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation! All of civilization is literally at our finger tips, but it’s not magic – it’s a mindboggling array of wires, pipes, routers, and other infrastructure, put to work by a multitude of engineers. On the Grid opens the door on the miracle that is the 20th century home. Through it, Huler follows pipes, wires, and garbage men to find out where they go, investigating the operations of water supply, sewage, road construction, traffic control, electricity, waste management, telecommunications, and – for good measure – bus stops and train stations.
The adventure is both social and technical; while at the beginning he literally stalks a recycling truck and pokes along in sewers, nearly being run over by a backhoe at one point, most of his information is gleaned from guided tours by a variety of engineers. Getting inside a nuclear plant, let alone getting a handle on their operation, would be difficult without a guide! By and large the men consulted are enthusiastic about talking about their work, and as Huler learns the ins and outs of more systems, he begins to see commonalities. Not only do some systems rely on the same infrastructure – power, cable, and telephone all being mounted on a shared utility pole – but the ‘hub and spokes’ model of distribution is commonplace. This is a wonderfully varied book, in part because of Foley’s respectable ambition. His documentation, however, mixes science, history, engineering, and a little politics. He ends with a salute to all of the engineers whose constant vigilance and labor keep the wires buzzing, the pipes open, and the pavement smooth, and a warning to readers not to undervalue infrastructure when it comes to thinking about taxes and leadership. If, like me, you have a fascinating for knowing how something as complex as a city – or even an ordinary house – operate from day to day, Huler’s sweep offers a beginning spot, and draws on numerous histories that go into more detail.
Related:
Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization (W. Hodding Carter IV)
The Grid: A Journey through the Heart of Our Electrified World (Phillip Schewe)
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash, Elizabeth Royte
Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash, Susan Strasser
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do, Tom Vanderbilt
Asphalt Nation, Jane Holtz Keay
Getting There: The Epic Struggle Between Road and Rail, Stephen Goddard
Picking Up: On the Streets with the Sanitation Workers of NYC, Robin Nagle
Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Charles Marohn
The adventure is both social and technical; while at the beginning he literally stalks a recycling truck and pokes along in sewers, nearly being run over by a backhoe at one point, most of his information is gleaned from guided tours by a variety of engineers. Getting inside a nuclear plant, let alone getting a handle on their operation, would be difficult without a guide! By and large the men consulted are enthusiastic about talking about their work, and as Huler learns the ins and outs of more systems, he begins to see commonalities. Not only do some systems rely on the same infrastructure – power, cable, and telephone all being mounted on a shared utility pole – but the ‘hub and spokes’ model of distribution is commonplace. This is a wonderfully varied book, in part because of Foley’s respectable ambition. His documentation, however, mixes science, history, engineering, and a little politics. He ends with a salute to all of the engineers whose constant vigilance and labor keep the wires buzzing, the pipes open, and the pavement smooth, and a warning to readers not to undervalue infrastructure when it comes to thinking about taxes and leadership. If, like me, you have a fascinating for knowing how something as complex as a city – or even an ordinary house – operate from day to day, Huler’s sweep offers a beginning spot, and draws on numerous histories that go into more detail.
Related:
Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization (W. Hodding Carter IV)
The Grid: A Journey through the Heart of Our Electrified World (Phillip Schewe)
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash, Elizabeth Royte
Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash, Susan Strasser
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do, Tom Vanderbilt
Asphalt Nation, Jane Holtz Keay
Getting There: The Epic Struggle Between Road and Rail, Stephen Goddard
Picking Up: On the Streets with the Sanitation Workers of NYC, Robin Nagle
Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Charles Marohn
October 26, 2023
A layman's survey of the various infrastructure systems we depend on daily for our way of life. Very readable and engaging if you're the type of person who wonders how things work.
August 7, 2019
Would have given it a higher rating if not for the typos. Could have used a good copyeditor! But I appreciated the topic and approach. Made me think back to one of my favorite books as a kid, David Macauley's Underground, all about the infrastructure under our feet. Now I want to go visit my local water treatment plant!
April 26, 2010
I received this book for free as a GoodReads First Read. I found the topic to be interesting overall, but the book itself was a little heavy on measurements, statistics, and numbers that did not have as much context as I needed for them to have much meaning to me. Considering that this book was written for the 'average person,' it was a little more technical and therefore drier than I would have expected. I did enjoy learning more about the infrastructure that surrounds me. The author seemed to be taking a somewhat Michael-Moore-esque approach to the topic, which was funny at times but also made me roll my eyes occasionally!
August 7, 2015
This starts with lengthy chapters on water and sewage. Please don't let that put you off. Stick with it. Those chapters are worth it and the book gets better and better. Totally fascinating. On The Grid lives up to its promise of educating you on how the infrastructure of your home, neighborhood, and city all meshes together into the most valuable miracle of our modern world.
Highly recommended. The Audible narration by Bronson Pinchot knocked it out of the park again.
Highly recommended. The Audible narration by Bronson Pinchot knocked it out of the park again.
February 7, 2018
Really pretty good, and very readable. Covers water, garbage, power, information systems, transit - and all in language a non-engineer can mostly understand. I understand better now the difference between wastewater and stormwater. Common sense should have told me some of these things (of course stormwater has to go somewhere, because it isn't absorbed directly by the earth where the earth is covered with buildings! so we have to move the water to drains), but in general we're pretty detached from these basic details of our physical existence nowadays. One of the most memorable lines (from an engineer): Don't build your house at the bottom of a hill.
November 29, 2019
Generally well-written primer on basic urban infrastructure in the US. The author uses local utilities in the town he lives in, Raleigh, NC, as examples, which has its pluses and minuses. I think it probably helps to solidify understanding to see how the different types of infrastructure look and work together, as the author is able to do by describing examples he finds in his community. On the other hand, the way it works in Raleigh may not be how it works in other parts of the country. All in all a good read for anyone who wants to understand a bit more about how the world around them works, but may be irritating or too basic for people who already know a lot about urban infrastructure.
May 20, 2017
If you want to understand how the things like water, sewer, electricity and trash collection systems work in your neighborhood, this is the book. The writer's basic curiosity takes the reader on an adventure through his community to explain basic infrastructure in a compelling way. I've always wanted to know how water towers work. Now I know. The book is filled with these kinds of revelations about everyday life. Well written & highly recommended
August 30, 2017
Educational and glad I finally finished it.
June 16, 2018
a fairly in depth look at the infrastructure systems connected to the average u.s. home
June 11, 2020
Read this several years ago - it was an excellent exploration and explanation of all the systems a residential home is connected to.
February 17, 2021
You will never understand how much you don't know about infrastructure (surveying, watersheds, electrical grids, water treatment) until you begin to read. Easy to digest and fascinating.
January 17, 2019
So much info!
I picked up this book because I recently started working in the electrical industry, but every single chapter was a great learning experience. My only complaint is that I wanted MORE detail on a lot of subjects.
I picked up this book because I recently started working in the electrical industry, but every single chapter was a great learning experience. My only complaint is that I wanted MORE detail on a lot of subjects.
August 26, 2010
This morning I woke up early to get some quality time on the internet only to find out it wasn't working. That seems to be happening more and more to us in our household, requiring us to re-boot our LAN/router doo-hickey and hope it starts working again. But while I waited, I went ahead and finished up the reading of Scott Huler's "On the Grid."
I think of myself as a pretty average suburban home owner who takes the city's infrastructure for granted. I assume that when I turn on the water faucet, fresh, clean water will come out, and I assume that when I put something down the garbage disposal, it will get chopped up into tiny pieces and go whereever it is that it goes and all will be well in the world. I don't really understand how these systems work, but, unlike most folks, perhaps, I have at least been curious. So when I got the chance to review this book, I was only too happy to give it a crack.
Mr Huler lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and uses his house and city as launching pads to discover how our central infrastructure systems really work. He takes us through such systems as storm water drains, sewage systems, the power grids, transportation systems, and communications systems (including the internet). He follows one element of the infrastructure back to its source or destination. Along the way he talks with experts in that system such as engineers, sanitation experts, gas company employees, etc. If nothing else, this book certainly shines the light on the critical roles these people play in all of our lives. But he doesn't stop there. Each chapter also goes into detail on the history of each of the systems, beginning at its source whether it was ancient Rome, prehistoric man, or Benjamin Franklin. The author does a good job at tying it all together and I did come away from this book with a greater understanding of what all of those poles, iron plates, and utility boxes in my neighborhood are really for. But really, the book just scratches the surface. It does demonstrate just how massively complex our infrastructure is and there is no way somebody can get a thorough understanding of these systems from one book. My only negative comment is that the cover states the book is "mesmerizing and often hilarious." It was interesting, but hardly "mesmerizing" and I found very little of it to be mildly humorous, much less "hilarious." This is more of a straight informational book, not a Dave Barry collection of essays.
And I still don't understand how my internet/router doo-hickey system really works...
I think of myself as a pretty average suburban home owner who takes the city's infrastructure for granted. I assume that when I turn on the water faucet, fresh, clean water will come out, and I assume that when I put something down the garbage disposal, it will get chopped up into tiny pieces and go whereever it is that it goes and all will be well in the world. I don't really understand how these systems work, but, unlike most folks, perhaps, I have at least been curious. So when I got the chance to review this book, I was only too happy to give it a crack.
Mr Huler lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and uses his house and city as launching pads to discover how our central infrastructure systems really work. He takes us through such systems as storm water drains, sewage systems, the power grids, transportation systems, and communications systems (including the internet). He follows one element of the infrastructure back to its source or destination. Along the way he talks with experts in that system such as engineers, sanitation experts, gas company employees, etc. If nothing else, this book certainly shines the light on the critical roles these people play in all of our lives. But he doesn't stop there. Each chapter also goes into detail on the history of each of the systems, beginning at its source whether it was ancient Rome, prehistoric man, or Benjamin Franklin. The author does a good job at tying it all together and I did come away from this book with a greater understanding of what all of those poles, iron plates, and utility boxes in my neighborhood are really for. But really, the book just scratches the surface. It does demonstrate just how massively complex our infrastructure is and there is no way somebody can get a thorough understanding of these systems from one book. My only negative comment is that the cover states the book is "mesmerizing and often hilarious." It was interesting, but hardly "mesmerizing" and I found very little of it to be mildly humorous, much less "hilarious." This is more of a straight informational book, not a Dave Barry collection of essays.
And I still don't understand how my internet/router doo-hickey system really works...
August 29, 2011
By pure coincidence I started this book just before Hurricane Irene descended on the East Coast and reminded me personally how much we depend on our infrastructure, as I lost power, including internet, for almost 24 hours, lost my landline phone service for many hours, and talked to friends who also lost access to their water.
I readOn the Grid because I had discovered the author serendipitously at the Virginia book Festival several years ago, when he was on a panel with another author I WANTED to see. Huler was a great panelist, enough so that I bought and thoroughly enjoyed Defining the Wind, an ENTIRE book on the Beaufort Scale, a way to measure wind force.
When Huler appeared at the festival to discuss his 2010 book On the Grid, I went to his panel again,but this time to hear HIM speak.
Again he has chosen an unusual topic, and again he has made it fascinating.
On the Grid is about the infrastructure without which modern society could not operate: our water, sewer, roads, power, and communications. Using his own community in Raleigh NC as an example, Huler has chapters discussing the history and current operations of each of these important utilities, interweaving technical descriptions with history and fascinating historical facts and anecdotes ( What does a surveyor say when he sees Mount Rushmore? "Well,I see the three surveyors, but who is the other guy?", a reference to the fact that, of the presidents on the face of Mount Rushmore, only Teddy Roosevelt was not a surveyor at some time in his life.)
On the Grid is informative, entertaining, and gives the reader much food for thought and for conversation.
I readOn the Grid because I had discovered the author serendipitously at the Virginia book Festival several years ago, when he was on a panel with another author I WANTED to see. Huler was a great panelist, enough so that I bought and thoroughly enjoyed Defining the Wind, an ENTIRE book on the Beaufort Scale, a way to measure wind force.
When Huler appeared at the festival to discuss his 2010 book On the Grid, I went to his panel again,but this time to hear HIM speak.
Again he has chosen an unusual topic, and again he has made it fascinating.
On the Grid is about the infrastructure without which modern society could not operate: our water, sewer, roads, power, and communications. Using his own community in Raleigh NC as an example, Huler has chapters discussing the history and current operations of each of these important utilities, interweaving technical descriptions with history and fascinating historical facts and anecdotes ( What does a surveyor say when he sees Mount Rushmore? "Well,I see the three surveyors, but who is the other guy?", a reference to the fact that, of the presidents on the face of Mount Rushmore, only Teddy Roosevelt was not a surveyor at some time in his life.)
On the Grid is informative, entertaining, and gives the reader much food for thought and for conversation.
December 25, 2013
An exploration and celebration of the water, sewage, electricity, gas, internet, phone, train, road, airport, and trash systems; in other words, a look at the infrastructure that most people both largely ignore and completely depend on.
The author focuses on his hometown of Raleigh, so those sections will be most interesting to those familiar with the area, but he also offers a great deal of generalized information. I like having a better understanding of the infrastructure around me and how to help it work more smoothly as an individual user (a few tips: garbage disposals are the devil, pizza boxes can't be recycled, and most non-TP products that claim to be flushable and septic-safe actually aren't.) I also enjoyed the historical tidbits, including free-range pigs disposing of London trash, the origins of terms like highway, turnpike, and tarmac, and Edison’s absolutely horrifying advertising ploys.
I wasn't all that impressed by the prose or the editing (there are a few exquisitely confusing typos), but Huler still definitely succeeds in getting his point across. I finished the book a bit more educated and a lot more in awe of the under-appreciated (and often dangerously under-funded and under-supported) systems and their employees who keep our society running.
The author focuses on his hometown of Raleigh, so those sections will be most interesting to those familiar with the area, but he also offers a great deal of generalized information. I like having a better understanding of the infrastructure around me and how to help it work more smoothly as an individual user (a few tips: garbage disposals are the devil, pizza boxes can't be recycled, and most non-TP products that claim to be flushable and septic-safe actually aren't.) I also enjoyed the historical tidbits, including free-range pigs disposing of London trash, the origins of terms like highway, turnpike, and tarmac, and Edison’s absolutely horrifying advertising ploys.
I wasn't all that impressed by the prose or the editing (there are a few exquisitely confusing typos), but Huler still definitely succeeds in getting his point across. I finished the book a bit more educated and a lot more in awe of the under-appreciated (and often dangerously under-funded and under-supported) systems and their employees who keep our society running.
October 29, 2012
I used to spend a lot of time as a child lying on the ground, hands behind my head, watching the clouds and wondering what lay beneath the grass, deep down in the earth. Well, "On the Grid" would have given me many answers. What I like most about this book is that it makes you think about so many things we take for granted and assume will always be there for us. Most of us know how discombobulating it is when the lights go out, or a pipe bursts, or the trash isn't picked up on time. But we also expect somebody else to correct the problem...and quickly.
When we hear that our infrastructure is aging and crumbling, how many of us understand what this really means? Scott Huler's book provides insight into just how tricky the infrastructure that supports our modern way of life really is and how much ingenuity and expense is involved in keeping it functional. I hope everyone who resents paying taxes and thinks they can survive without any help from the government will read this book and imagine what it would be like to have to maintain all these complex, interconnected systems on their own.
When we hear that our infrastructure is aging and crumbling, how many of us understand what this really means? Scott Huler's book provides insight into just how tricky the infrastructure that supports our modern way of life really is and how much ingenuity and expense is involved in keeping it functional. I hope everyone who resents paying taxes and thinks they can survive without any help from the government will read this book and imagine what it would be like to have to maintain all these complex, interconnected systems on their own.
July 30, 2010
On the Grid should be required reading for everyone who lives "on the grid" (i.e. all of us) and especially for those who want to minimize or abolish taxes. Do you know what happens to your sewage, or how your drinking water gets to you? Neither did I. This engaging, readable book is chock-full of fascinating information about all the infrastructure we take for granted. Did it ever occur to you that where water is a scarce resource, disposable diapers might actually be a more environmentally-conscious choice than cloth? Me either. Do you actually know what happens somewhere down the line when you put food scraps down your disposal? Find out. I've never objected to paying taxes (well...ok, a little when it comes time to actually send that check to the IRS, but not in principle) and now I realize just how lucky we are in the US to get so much for so little.
October 21, 2015
In the best parts reading this book gave me a zen-like experience. I enjoyed learning more about how the utilities that keep my household connected to the rest of the world operate and how they are maintained. Huler approaches each system from a personal point of view, which allows what might be a dry subject in other books to become a humorous and surprising, as well as an enlightening read.
There were some editing errors and typos in the introduction and in one or two other areas, but these were only in a few isolated spots and for the most part the book was well-edited.
Throughout the book, Huler provides well-researched information with an appropriate sense of wonder. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of the sewer system, how maintenance workers have to dig and use robots to repair or unclog pipes and how the treatment plants have to closely monitor the flow of waste water as well as drinking water. The book gave me a better appreciation of all the systems working around me and all the work it takes to keep them running.
There were some editing errors and typos in the introduction and in one or two other areas, but these were only in a few isolated spots and for the most part the book was well-edited.
Throughout the book, Huler provides well-researched information with an appropriate sense of wonder. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of the sewer system, how maintenance workers have to dig and use robots to repair or unclog pipes and how the treatment plants have to closely monitor the flow of waste water as well as drinking water. The book gave me a better appreciation of all the systems working around me and all the work it takes to keep them running.
May 5, 2010
This review is from an advanced copy.
In 2003 I was living in Michigan when the power went out at my office. Little did I know at that time that a large swath of the northeast region had lost their power as well. That was my first personal experience with a mass blackout that was not weather related.
Since that time I have often thought about the infrastructure that makes our world work. Scott Huler has written a book that answers many of those questions. On the Grid is a telling look at those systems that we depend on, often without giving them a moment's thought. Huler does a great job of taking material that could be dry to the point of unreadable and creating a solid narrative that hooks the reader beginning on page 1. It is high praise to take material such as this and making it interesting. I never realized I could be so fascinated by my garbage disposal.
A true good read.
In 2003 I was living in Michigan when the power went out at my office. Little did I know at that time that a large swath of the northeast region had lost their power as well. That was my first personal experience with a mass blackout that was not weather related.
Since that time I have often thought about the infrastructure that makes our world work. Scott Huler has written a book that answers many of those questions. On the Grid is a telling look at those systems that we depend on, often without giving them a moment's thought. Huler does a great job of taking material that could be dry to the point of unreadable and creating a solid narrative that hooks the reader beginning on page 1. It is high praise to take material such as this and making it interesting. I never realized I could be so fascinated by my garbage disposal.
A true good read.
April 3, 2011
I liked this book because I have, well, an odd fascination with plumbing, electricity, and how things work. Also, the book is about the infrastructure of Raleigh, North Carolina, my hometown. That's why it gets three stars instead of two. Despite my interest in the subject matter, I almost put it down because the editing of the first few chapters is ATROCIOUS, and bad editing makes me insane. Someone definitely was in a hurry to get this to press. The chapters about water and sewer are the best informationwise, and I love that the author climbed in the storm drain and attempted to follow it to its starting point. Crazy! Some of the other chapters read like they were added because, well, they're infrastructure (like cable tv and the internet), but the author wasn't really all that interested in them.
I still recommend this book, because we don't think much about how our infrastructure works, but if we didn't have it, society would fall apart.
I still recommend this book, because we don't think much about how our infrastructure works, but if we didn't have it, society would fall apart.
May 29, 2014
A solid, thoughtful consideration of the various components of the infrastructure of the modern world, all the stuff we take for granted, and don't want to pay a lot more to build and keep up, but get us totally bent out of shape when anything fails or breaks down from sheer age and use. He uses his home town of Raleigh, N.C. has the paradigm, investigating that city's water works, storm drains, sanitary sewage system, electric grid, communications networks and transportation systems--roads and public transit, such as it is.
Very good explanations of most everything, although I just am not able ever to keep clear in my head the difference between wattage, voltage, current, resistance, or any of the other essential distinctions of electricity as utility. The last chapter makes a strong, vivid argument for the foolishness of taxpayers to be reluctant to want to properly fund upkeep and improvements to the systems they use every day, without thinking about them.
Very good explanations of most everything, although I just am not able ever to keep clear in my head the difference between wattage, voltage, current, resistance, or any of the other essential distinctions of electricity as utility. The last chapter makes a strong, vivid argument for the foolishness of taxpayers to be reluctant to want to properly fund upkeep and improvements to the systems they use every day, without thinking about them.
October 26, 2014
This book is in the vein of many recent non-fiction books on infrastructure. The author gets curious about something, and then writes about what he or she finds. I enjoy this as a genre as the author tends to ask the same n00b questions I would but has saved me the leg work of discovering the answers.
Here, the author walks the reader through how power, water, sewage, roads, and internet access work in an area near Raleigh. Of these, road and sewage were my favorites. The author repeatedly points out how little we pay for our infrastructure, how much more we should be working on it, and how fervent we are against curbing any sort of consumption. The book has made me stop dumping grease down the sink.
I do wish a bunch of the chapters were more in-depth and the tone is almost overly informal sometimes. He treats infrastructure people as heroes as I think we partly should. Having a statue to chief infrastructure person in your city would kind of be bad ass.
Here, the author walks the reader through how power, water, sewage, roads, and internet access work in an area near Raleigh. Of these, road and sewage were my favorites. The author repeatedly points out how little we pay for our infrastructure, how much more we should be working on it, and how fervent we are against curbing any sort of consumption. The book has made me stop dumping grease down the sink.
I do wish a bunch of the chapters were more in-depth and the tone is almost overly informal sometimes. He treats infrastructure people as heroes as I think we partly should. Having a statue to chief infrastructure person in your city would kind of be bad ass.
September 27, 2010
This was really interesting. Huler takes a look at our infrastructure, which most of us tend to ignore, and tells us how it works, why it is the way it is, and why we should care about it. The book is a love song to engineers, who quietly make sure we have clean water, electricity, television, and good roads. Huler lives in Raleigh, NC and uses his hometown as an example. Those who run Raleigh's public works seemed more than happy to talk to him and he shows them a lot of love and respect in return. You'll definitely finish the book thinking much more highly of the guys who work under and above our streets than you did before (if you thought of them at all, which is unlikely). I finished the book wondering if I might be able to visit the water treatment plant, nuclear plant, and other places Huler got to see. He makes them seem totally fascinating.
March 2, 2011
Have you always wondered where the stuff you flush down your toilet goes? Well, you should -- it's pretty fascinating. Do you know who is in charge of your nuclear plant? Or why your backyard floods? Scott Huler asks these questions about his own neighborhood in Raleigh, NC, and gets a lot of great answers from the engineers and other heroes who run the city. This book should be required reading for anyone before they purchase a house. The best aspect of Huler's book is how he lets the men and women who keep our water clean, our houses electrified, and our toilets from backing up take center stage. Also, he offers parents a way to answer the cloth/disposable diaper conundrum.
Thank a municipal employee today. And the next time your local sewage treatment plant has an open house, GO! You will not be disappointed.
Thank a municipal employee today. And the next time your local sewage treatment plant has an open house, GO! You will not be disappointed.
August 20, 2016
It's sort of a narrative version of Kate Ascher's The Works, but a lot less informative. It moves along just fine and explores several areas of infrastructure, but there weren't many new facts for me.
Although it is starting to show its age in a few spots (e.g. Huler contemplates a future with 4G data), this might be good for people looking for infrastructure overview who cannot get a hold of Ascher's book due to it being banned / destroyed by our future ant-alien overlords.
And yes, why Huler's book wasn't banned does seem a bit suspicious to me too. If you want to approach Antok The Conqueror and complain, you go right ahead. I'd go with you, but I have to herd these giant aphids to market and I don't feel like getting my friggin' head torn off. And you know an aphid farmer's salary won't come close to covering a head transplant. Not another one anyway.
Although it is starting to show its age in a few spots (e.g. Huler contemplates a future with 4G data), this might be good for people looking for infrastructure overview who cannot get a hold of Ascher's book due to it being banned / destroyed by our future ant-alien overlords.
And yes, why Huler's book wasn't banned does seem a bit suspicious to me too. If you want to approach Antok The Conqueror and complain, you go right ahead. I'd go with you, but I have to herd these giant aphids to market and I don't feel like getting my friggin' head torn off. And you know an aphid farmer's salary won't come close to covering a head transplant. Not another one anyway.
September 22, 2010
Insightful exploration into the history and function of municipal infrastructure. You know, roads, electricity/natural gas/telephone/cable/internet grids, drinking water, sewage, stormwater, solid waste, and public transportation (busses, passenger rail, airports). The author argues that most people are ignorant of the how and why of these systems (until there is a snafu), which fuels blind calls for lower property, etc. taxes.
Lots of interesting historical side-notes. Who knew that Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln all worked as surveyors? Or that the default "sanitation" approach of early American cities was to loose free-roaming pigs to eat everyone's (mostly organic) waste, including (TMI alert) the work-horses that were often left laying where they died.
Lots of interesting historical side-notes. Who knew that Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln all worked as surveyors? Or that the default "sanitation" approach of early American cities was to loose free-roaming pigs to eat everyone's (mostly organic) waste, including (TMI alert) the work-horses that were often left laying where they died.
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