Customer Reviews

Underground

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

An award winning book, famous amongst teachers of architecture. This book is full of pen and ink cutaway line drawings of just about every underground structure, explaining to the lay person how they all interact. The problem is it is set in the USA, but that aside, it is a very interesting book.

J

David Macauley's work has just gotten better thru the years ...but even his early books like underground are wonderful! I received this book as a child & I'm now ordering it as a gift.

this the best book i have found to explain to eit's (engineering in training) just what civil engineering is all about.
it may be a childern's book, but it is the best on the subject of undeground utilities and transportation.

Macaulay uses his amazing talents to turn the world upside down in this unique book. Children (and even adults) will learn all kinds of things about what's beneath a modern city. I enjoyed showing my son the illustrations and explaining what it all means. Do beware, however, that this is a pretty abstract topic and that it can be difficult for younger kids to fully comprehend exactly what's going on. After all, thinking about what a city would like like with all the soil and rock removed and from many feet below street level is not a simple idea. So this one is probably best for older kids, as opposed to earlier works by Macaulay such as Cathedral or Castle that are much more tangible and easy for kids to comprehend.

I love all of Macaulay's picture books. When my son (now 33) was a little boy we read them together (starting with the "Unbuilding" book) and I don't know who enjoyed them more. "Underground" is short but informative, with descriptions of the different underground utilities, how they function and why they are placed where they are. Of particular interest to me was the section on supports, piers and retaining walls. Do you know what a "slurry wall" is? David explains what and it is, why it is used and how it is constructed. A fascinating book if you or your child is interested in how things are built. Be sure to examine the drawings closely and you will find humorous artifacts buried within them.

It doesn't take a lot of words to review the books of David Macaulay. Having loved these books for decades, I recently purchased Castle, Pyramid, and Underground for my grandson who even at 5+ years is wildly excited about building things. Although he won't be able to read these on his own for a year or two, his parents read to him daily and Castle has immediately captured him. In a year or two he'll be ready for Pyramid and Underground. Macaulay's line drawings are excellent and the text proves that he professionally knows what he's drawing. (He's been teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design for many decades.)

This was a purchase for grandchildren living in a very rural area. They will have their curiosity heightened upon visiting the next largest city. It was easy to follow and understand. The illustrations are nicely done and hold one's attention.