Underground (Paperback)

~ David Macaulay (Author) "Beneath the buildings and streets of a modern city exists the network of walls, columns, cables, pipes, and tunnels required to satisfy the basic needs..." (more)
Key Phrases: reinforcing rods

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A straightforward yet fascinating description of the labyrinth beneath the feet of any city dweller. And what a complex covered world David Macaulay reveals! He invents an intersection of two streets and proceeds to show what we all might find if we dared to descend through that Alice-in-Wonderland manhole." -- Review --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"A straightforward yet fascinating description of the labyrinth beneath the feet of any city dweller. And what a complex covered world David Macaulay reveals! He invents an intersection of two streets and proceeds to show what we all might find if we dared to descend through that Alice-in-Wonderland manhole." The New York Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (March 23, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395340659
• ISBN-13: 978-0395340653
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #59,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > Macaulay, David
  #49 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars anatomy of an infrastructure, July 11, 2004

By	David Group (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

This book ranks as one of Macaulay's best, as it reveals the networks of systems that are the lifeblood of a city, from various building foundations to sewers to subways, showing how they are constructed and sometimes interact with each other. The text, though minimal, is packed with information, which is supplemented by the superb and detailed drawings. One of the coolest aspects of the book, though, is the views from below, as if a rat with x-ray vision were able to gaze up at this intricate maze of technological wonders. Macaulay's sense of humor is evident throughout, as seen by his inclusion of various critters (including an alligator and an elephant), lots of references to dogs and fire hydrants, a billboard ad for his book PYRAMID, and even a human skull and hand (!!) in one drawing of an excavation. Great fun to read and highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Visual Imagination and Wit, January 1, 2007

By	Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Most book illustrators portray buildings from an eagle's eye perspective. A few talented illustrators will open up the buildings and give insightful cross sectional views. What makes this book so special is that David Macaulay shows us buildings from the perspective of looking up from the bedrock on which the building rests. This is unique and is typical of Macaulay's great visual imagination and wit.

This book concentrates on a big city corner where four large buildings sit. The story begins with the foundation excavation, the pouring of foundation pilings and moves up to building infrastructure that sits just below the city street. We are all aware that a great deal of engineering goes into making large cities livable. However, there is nothing like a well illustrated book to help one understand the sheer complexity of our modern infrastructure.

I would recommend this book to older children with an interest in the physical world around them. It is also a great book for adults with an interest in architecture and urban planning. There are illustrators with better drafting skills than David Macaulay but when it comes to sheer imagination, Macaulay is in a league of his own. Highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "What are those round metal things in the street?", October 4, 2002

By	KURT H KROHN (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

What Mr. Macaulay does is pull up a city by the roots, shake the dirt off, and take a no-nonsense (well, maybe a little nonsense) look at what is revealed. The illustrations are clear and informative, with just a touch of whimsy. The book covers sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water lines, electricity, telephone, subways and building foundations. A gift for aspiring civil engineers of all ages!