What do you think?
Rate this book
Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future
A fascinating history of the carbon footprint of our concrete world―from ancient Roman architecture to urban cityscapes―and the trouble it spells for sustainability amidst rapid climate change
For readers of The Sixth Extinction and The Uninhabitable Earth , Concrete explores the history of a material that has been central to architecture and design for thousands of years―and what its future looks like in a world experiencing rapid climate change.
Imagine what the world would be like without there’d be no high-rises, no grand irrigation projects, no lettuce from southern climes in the winter, no multi-lane highways crisscrossing continents, a shortage of electricity, more mud in some places, more solitude in others. But because of the fossil fuels and other resources required to make concrete, there also would be less CO2 in the atmosphere and less dramatic climate change. In From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future , Soderstrom tells the story of concrete’s glorious past, extravagant present, and uncertain future with careful research, lively anecdotes, and thoughtful reflection. The framework for this exploration is one the Romans―famous for concrete structures that are still strong―would the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.
For readers of The Sixth Extinction and The Uninhabitable Earth , Concrete explores the history of a material that has been central to architecture and design for thousands of years―and what its future looks like in a world experiencing rapid climate change.
Imagine what the world would be like without there’d be no high-rises, no grand irrigation projects, no lettuce from southern climes in the winter, no multi-lane highways crisscrossing continents, a shortage of electricity, more mud in some places, more solitude in others. But because of the fossil fuels and other resources required to make concrete, there also would be less CO2 in the atmosphere and less dramatic climate change. In From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future , Soderstrom tells the story of concrete’s glorious past, extravagant present, and uncertain future with careful research, lively anecdotes, and thoughtful reflection. The framework for this exploration is one the Romans―famous for concrete structures that are still strong―would the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.
273 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2020
36 people want to read
About the author
Mary Soderstrom
25 books82 followersMary Soderstrom is a Montreal-based writer of fiction and non-fiction whose most recent book--her 19th--Before We Forget: How Remembering Will Get Us Through the Next 75 Years was published by Dundurn Press in March 2026. It follows in the footsteps of Against the Seas: Saving Civilizations from Rising Waters (Dundurn, 2023) and Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future {October 2020. University of Regina Press.}
In 2019 the UofRegina Press published her Frenemy Nations: Love and Hate between Neighbo(u)ring States which is an examination of why ten pairs of political entities--ranging from the formerly two Vietnams, through Haiti and the Dominican Republic and Vermont and New Hampshire to the US and Canada--are so similar in some respects, yet so different.
As Katia Grubisic writes about it in the Montreal Review of Books: "Soderstrom is interesting because she is interested... Her frequent asides – musings on language, geology, genetics, twins, what have you – are sharp and illuminating, sparking reflection and lightening the informational load."
Her Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move (University of Regina Press) was published in 2017 to laudatory reviews in Quill & Quire, Publishers' Weekly and The Library Journal which called it "a must-read for all interested in society, past and present."
Her most recent work of fiction is River Music, a novel published by Cormorant Book in May 2015. In fall 2013 Oberon Press brought out her collection of short stories, Desire Lines: Stories of Love and Geography. Her last non-fiction book was Making Waves: The Continuing Portuguese Adventure (Véhicule Press, 2010) . Cormorant published her novel The Violets of Usambara in 2008. About a Canadian politician who is kidnapped in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, it is particularly relevant now in an era of terrorism around the world.
And for nearly a decade she has maintained an eclectic chronicle about politics, nature, cities and life, Recreating Eden (http://marysoderstrom.blogspot.com)
In 2019 the UofRegina Press published her Frenemy Nations: Love and Hate between Neighbo(u)ring States which is an examination of why ten pairs of political entities--ranging from the formerly two Vietnams, through Haiti and the Dominican Republic and Vermont and New Hampshire to the US and Canada--are so similar in some respects, yet so different.
As Katia Grubisic writes about it in the Montreal Review of Books: "Soderstrom is interesting because she is interested... Her frequent asides – musings on language, geology, genetics, twins, what have you – are sharp and illuminating, sparking reflection and lightening the informational load."
Her Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move (University of Regina Press) was published in 2017 to laudatory reviews in Quill & Quire, Publishers' Weekly and The Library Journal which called it "a must-read for all interested in society, past and present."
Her most recent work of fiction is River Music, a novel published by Cormorant Book in May 2015. In fall 2013 Oberon Press brought out her collection of short stories, Desire Lines: Stories of Love and Geography. Her last non-fiction book was Making Waves: The Continuing Portuguese Adventure (Véhicule Press, 2010) . Cormorant published her novel The Violets of Usambara in 2008. About a Canadian politician who is kidnapped in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, it is particularly relevant now in an era of terrorism around the world.
And for nearly a decade she has maintained an eclectic chronicle about politics, nature, cities and life, Recreating Eden (http://marysoderstrom.blogspot.com)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 21, 2020
Worthwhile read on concrete
I enjoyed this book. Mary Soderstrom tells an interesting story about concrete and its uses, for better or worse. She has a very conversational tone that makes reading the book pleasurable. However, detracting from this enjoyment is that I found the tone of the book to be somewhat preachy. In addition, I didn’t find this book as compelling as the other book by Soderstrom I read, “Road Through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move”. But overall, “Concrete” is good and is well worth reading.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley for review purposes.
I enjoyed this book. Mary Soderstrom tells an interesting story about concrete and its uses, for better or worse. She has a very conversational tone that makes reading the book pleasurable. However, detracting from this enjoyment is that I found the tone of the book to be somewhat preachy. In addition, I didn’t find this book as compelling as the other book by Soderstrom I read, “Road Through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move”. But overall, “Concrete” is good and is well worth reading.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley for review purposes.
September 29, 2021
A gripping and solid book –– just like the subject matter haha. Thoroughly researched, excellently written and entertaining throughout. I loved this book. And now I know one or two things about concrete, already way more than 99% of the population. I recommend this highly if you're at all interested in the world around you.
April 29, 2020
As the title suggests, this book by Mary Soderstrom explores the history, mechanics and many uses of concrete as well as the consequences of its ubiquity.
A professional in the field of building design and construction (material science and manufacturing etc.) is unlikely to learn anything new here aside from a few curious factoids, but it is a solid work for a layperson to pick up.
The book is organized into chapters based on the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. It sounds superfluous when Soderstrom initially introduces it, but actually works quite well as a structuring principle. Additionally, the book concludes with a list of 20 building milestones that illustrate the history of the material, some of which are explored in the earlier text. I wish that kind of structure was more evident throughout the book, since it is relevant and straightforward.
In each chapter Soderstrom explores the process of manufacturing, historical and contemporary application of concrete and looks at some specific projects, events or trends as they relate to the particular element. She covers the timeline from antiquity to the present day (almost literally, mentioning the COVID-19 epidemic at one point) and a wide breadth of disciplines, speaking about manufacturing, architecture, transportation, environmental conservation, waste management, power generation etc.
She has clearly done her research and covers a lot of information. Some, perhaps even most, of what she talks about is only tangentially related to concrete, but it is well-articulated, interesting and fits cohesively into a single narrative, so is a pleasure to read.
This is a book that teaches the reader about the pervasiveness, importance and the footprint of concrete more so than about its physical properties or specific applications, and it does so in an engaging manner.
Would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
A professional in the field of building design and construction (material science and manufacturing etc.) is unlikely to learn anything new here aside from a few curious factoids, but it is a solid work for a layperson to pick up.
The book is organized into chapters based on the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. It sounds superfluous when Soderstrom initially introduces it, but actually works quite well as a structuring principle. Additionally, the book concludes with a list of 20 building milestones that illustrate the history of the material, some of which are explored in the earlier text. I wish that kind of structure was more evident throughout the book, since it is relevant and straightforward.
In each chapter Soderstrom explores the process of manufacturing, historical and contemporary application of concrete and looks at some specific projects, events or trends as they relate to the particular element. She covers the timeline from antiquity to the present day (almost literally, mentioning the COVID-19 epidemic at one point) and a wide breadth of disciplines, speaking about manufacturing, architecture, transportation, environmental conservation, waste management, power generation etc.
She has clearly done her research and covers a lot of information. Some, perhaps even most, of what she talks about is only tangentially related to concrete, but it is well-articulated, interesting and fits cohesively into a single narrative, so is a pleasure to read.
This is a book that teaches the reader about the pervasiveness, importance and the footprint of concrete more so than about its physical properties or specific applications, and it does so in an engaging manner.
Would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
January 26, 2021
Concrete is the literal foundation of nearly every strand of the capitalist economy. Mary Soderstrom's book illuminates the great difficulty in making concrete in a sustainable way – as well as the great difficulty in doing without it. Full review here:
https://www.resilience.org/stories/20...
https://www.resilience.org/stories/20...
May 1, 2020
I usually like these non-fiction titles about rather mundane things like Kurlansky's Salt, Cod and Paper. So when I saw this one, I was enticed. Mary did an amazing job in gathering a lot of cool facts and trivia, certainly a labor of love. However, I did have a hard time following the thought processes in some of the chapters. Her mind is at times pretty free wheeling, which makes the book confusing. It is weirdly chaptalized in the first place. Especially at the beginning the chapters or Earth and Fire brought me close to stop reading.
The book turns the corner a little bit, so I kept going. But it was really hard at times to follow the seemingly random thoughts that materialized in strange places.
The story not exactly as coherent as concrete, but still a readable book if you are a fan of the genre.
The book turns the corner a little bit, so I kept going. But it was really hard at times to follow the seemingly random thoughts that materialized in strange places.
The story not exactly as coherent as concrete, but still a readable book if you are a fan of the genre.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews