excellent book, has lots of really nice graphics showing entire networks of systems in simplified form. goes into a decent amount of detail revealing many interesting things, I would have liked more detailed info in some instanced but seems like I can get this from other books such as: A Field Guide to Roadside Technology (http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Roadside-Technology/dp/1556526091/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b).

excellent book, has lots of really nice graphics showing entire networks of systems in simplified form. goes into a decent amount of detail revealing many interesting things, I would have liked more detailed info in some instanced but seems like I can get this from other books such as: A Field Guide to Roadside Technology (http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Roadside-Technology/dp/1556526091/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b).

The work that goes into designing, developing, and maintaining an infrastructure for a city like New York is perhaps one of the greatest feats on mankind. The amazing part of it all is that the detail, the science, the engineering genius, and the reliability of all things that keep a city running go relatively unnoticed to the uncurious. But if you are the type that has often wondered how a city really works, how power is supplied, how water is brought in and sewage brought out, how communication and transportation systems are organized, then this is the book for you. The great thing about this book is that it is readable for ages 9 and up. Great illustrations, graphs, diagrams, and easy to read explainations keeps this book light and breezy as a Richard Scarry book. I loved it and highly recommend it.

This book is filled with how everything in the New York City infrastructure works. EVERYTHING!!

Induldge your inner nerd and buy this book. The sections are well laid out with excellent and clear graphics and the sections are small enough that you (or your visitors) can either take one bite at a time or just browse through the thing till you find something that interests you (and you will). Describes detail in a way that's accessable to everyone and without getting tedious. My wait at the dentist's office would fly by with something like this to while away the time.

This is an awesome book for anyone who ever questions "How?"

In the similar vein of "How does it work?" This is simply the book of "How does New York City work?".

I'll never forget a live video/music piece on Sesame Street while I was growing up entitled "Where does the trash go?".

This book answers that question and so many more! From the sewer system to the stop lights and traffic flow. Anything most of us have ever wondered about, regarding the day to day minutia of city, is in this book.

This is a book for anyone from 9 to 90 and beyond.

Enjoy it, and savor it. Share it, and understand it.

If you want to know about how New York City works, this book is worth reading. It's well-researched and well-written. Kate Ascher is a very smart woman and her book is a real achievement.

A comprehensive review of the above ground and underground infrastructure of the City of New York. Great for the general public.

This book looks, feels, and smells good (smell might not be a factor to most readers, but we hopeless book lovers do also judge a book by its smell). Great attention and care has been paid to presentation. Even the manhole cover on the dust jacket is beautiful. The illustrations and graphics inside are colourful, detailed and helpful. This book, without going into great detail, provides a wonderful introduction to the infrastructure of New York City. It includes many interesting and obscure facts about New York and its history. (e.g. Two Irish families have dominated the tugboat business in New York harbour since the late 1800's. Also, in the early 19th century, rival firefighting companies used to disguise the location of fire hydrants to keep their competition from getting to them first in the event of a fire, and sometimes would hire gangs of toughs, called plug uglies, to keep their rivals away.) So much of New York's infrastructure is underground, some of it for over a century -the subway, the steam system, underground rail and road tunnels, electrical wiring, water aqueducts and pipes, natural gas lines, and, of course, the sewer system. There was even a pneumatic tube mail system that had miles and miles of tubing that operated until 1953. I found this all fascinating.
I would have liked to have seen something about vermin control (Robert Sullivan's book, Rats, is good for this) and at least a nod to the capacities and workings of the police and fire departments. There is a good index in this book, but it is missing a bibliography and, more importantly, a list of further reading suggestions for people who might want to go into further depth in the areas they are most interested in. [...].

As a designer in the New York metropolitan area, I thoroughly appreciate the effort that must have gone into making this book, and in particular its illustrations. They are detailed, accurate (as far as I can tell), and above all informative in a way that infrastructure diagrams from other books are not. It is noted that TW:AOAC's lead designer found inspiration in a chance encounter with famed statistician/graphic artist Edward Tufte - a credible claim, if this book is any indicator. Conveying so much about the city yet basking in white space, these spreads are consistently excellent. Ascher's writing, too, is impeccable, and while a free-market standpoint is appropriately engaged in her commentary, the invaluabity of New York's public bureaus is not given short shrift. Indeed, where politics have clouded issues of development for the city, Ms. Ascher has deftly surmised the issue and given it full and fair treatment. As a major in economics and a professional graphic designer, I am happily forced to recommend this book.

This is one of the most fascinating and enlightening books I've read in a while. It explains everything that goes on behind the scenes of modern life that allow us to live the way we do. As expected, we find that there is a complex network of infrastructure and laborers that keep cities running. This book shows how each of these moving parts works and ties them all together with brilliant illustrations.