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The Road Taken
by Henry Petroski • 2016
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
3.44
529
The Road Taken Summary
The Road Taken 90%
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
by Henry Petroski 2016
3.44
529 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 89%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
Networks of New York
by Ingrid Burrington • 2016
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
3.80
232
Networks of New York Summary
Networks of New York 89%
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
by Ingrid Burrington 2016
3.80
232 ratings
Civil Engineering
by David Muir Wood • 2012
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
3.61
137
Civil Engineering Summary
Civil Engineering 89%
Why bridges stand and dams hold: a compact tour of civil engineering, from soil to steel.
by David Muir Wood 2012
3.61
137 ratings
Engineers of Dreams
by Henry Petroski • 1995
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
3.78
166
Engineers of Dreams Summary
Engineers of Dreams 89%
America's bridges were built by dreamers, rivals, and the hard lessons of catastrophic failure.
by Henry Petroski 1995
3.78
166 ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 89%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
Fiber
by Susan P. Crawford • 2018
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
3.87
159
Fiber Summary
Fiber 89%
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
by Susan P. Crawford 2018
3.87
159 ratings
Palaces for the People
by Eric Klinenberg • 2018
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
3.97
5k+
Palaces for the People Summary
Palaces for the People 89%
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
by Eric Klinenberg 2018
3.97
5k+ ratings
On Power
by Robert A. Caro • 2017
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
3.95
1k+
On Power Summary
On Power 88%
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
by Robert A. Caro 2017
3.95
1k+ ratings
Life After Cars
by Sarah Goodyear • 2025
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
4.26
1k+
Life After Cars Summary
Life After Cars 88%
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
by Sarah Goodyear 2025
4.26
1k+ ratings
Tactical Urbanism
by Mike Lydon • 2014
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
3.99
315
Tactical Urbanism Summary
Tactical Urbanism 88%
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
by Mike Lydon 2014
3.99
315 ratings
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
by William H. Whyte • 1980
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
4.33
927
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Summary
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 88%
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
by William H. Whyte 1980
4.33
927 ratings
Why Nothing Works
by Marc J. Dunkelman • 2025
Progressivism has two souls: one builds, one stops. The stopper won, so nothing gets built.
3.79
1k+
Why Nothing Works Summary
Why Nothing Works 88%
Progressivism has two souls: one builds, one stops. The stopper won, so nothing gets built.
by Marc J. Dunkelman 2025
3.79
1k+ ratings
India’s Railway Man
by Rajendra B. Aklekar • 2017
Bridge: 46 days. Mountain railway: 7 years. The values that built modern India on schedule.
3.85
249
India’s Railway Man Summary
India’s Railway Man 88%
Bridge: 46 days. Mountain railway: 7 years. The values that built modern India on schedule.
by Rajendra B. Aklekar 2017
3.85
249 ratings
Road to Nowhere
by Paris Marx • 2022
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
4.16
643
Road to Nowhere Summary
Road to Nowhere 88%
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
by Paris Marx 2022
4.16
643 ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 88%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
Power to the Public
by Tara Dawson McGuinness • 2021
Government services fail because they skip users. The fix: design with people, real data, iterate.
3.98
320
Power to the Public Summary
Power to the Public 88%
Government services fail because they skip users. The fix: design with people, real data, iterate.
by Tara Dawson McGuinness 2021
3.98
320 ratings
Recoding America
by Jennifer Pahlka • 2023
Government's tech catastrophes share one cause: it treats code as a purchase, never a practice.
4.37
3k+
Recoding America Summary
Recoding America 88%
Government's tech catastrophes share one cause: it treats code as a purchase, never a practice.
by Jennifer Pahlka 2023
4.37
3k+ ratings
Walkable City
by Jeff Speck • 2012
America's downtowns died for parking. The rules for bringing them back, starting at the curb.
4.32
9k+
Walkable City Summary
Walkable City 88%
America's downtowns died for parking. The rules for bringing them back, starting at the curb.
by Jeff Speck 2012
4.32
9k+ ratings
Extrastatecraft
by Keller Easterling • 2014
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
3.68
410
Extrastatecraft Summary
Extrastatecraft 88%
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
by Keller Easterling 2014
3.68
410 ratings
Maintenance of Everything
by Stewart Brand • 2026
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
4.00
516
Maintenance of Everything Summary
Maintenance of Everything 88%
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
by Stewart Brand 2026
4.00
516 ratings
The Longest Line on the Map
by Eric Rutkow • 2019
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
3.04
258
The Longest Line on the Map Summary
The Longest Line on the Map 88%
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
by Eric Rutkow 2019
3.04
258 ratings
Bring Back the Bureaucrats
by John DiIulio • 2014
Government grew. Bureaucracy didn't. The case for hiring federal workers to make it smaller.
3.22
32
Bring Back the Bureaucrats Summary
Bring Back the Bureaucrats 88%
Government grew. Bureaucracy didn't. The case for hiring federal workers to make it smaller.
by John DiIulio 2014
3.22
32 ratings
The Power Broker
by Robert A. Caro • 1974
How one unelected man built New York, bulldozed entire communities, and answered to no one.
4.53
30k+
The Power Broker Summary
The Power Broker 88%
How one unelected man built New York, bulldozed entire communities, and answered to no one.
by Robert A. Caro 1974
4.53
30k+ ratings
Curbing Traffic
by Melissa Bruntlett • 2021
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
4.38
633
Curbing Traffic Summary
Curbing Traffic 88%
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
by Melissa Bruntlett 2021
4.38
633 ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
937
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works 88%
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023
3.64
937 ratings
Urban Acupuncture
by Jaime Lerner • 2003
Fast, precise interventions where a city hurts trigger chain reactions no master plan ever could.
3.66
490
Urban Acupuncture Summary
Urban Acupuncture 88%
Fast, precise interventions where a city hurts trigger chain reactions no master plan ever could.
by Jaime Lerner 2003
3.66
490 ratings
Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service
by Michael Lewis • 2025
Government is full of brilliant people you have never heard of. Michael Lewis introduces them.
4.18
16k+
Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service Summary
Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service 88%
Government is full of brilliant people you have never heard of. Michael Lewis introduces them.
by Michael Lewis 2025
4.18
16k+ ratings
Concrete Planet
by Robert Courland • 2011
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
3.89
218
Concrete Planet Summary
Concrete Planet 88%
Concrete is older than the wheel, built Rome, and now silently corrodes the modern world.
by Robert Courland 2011
3.89
218 ratings
Flesh and Stone
by Richard Sennett • 1996
Why Western cities silence the body, and how the body fights back in stone.
4.28
541
Flesh and Stone Summary
Flesh and Stone 88%
Why Western cities silence the body, and how the body fights back in stone.
by Richard Sennett 1996
4.28
541 ratings
Building and Dwelling
by Richard Sennett • 2018
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
4.02
983
Building and Dwelling Summary
Building and Dwelling 87%
A city is two things: physical form and lived experience. Ethical design puts the second first.
by Richard Sennett 2018
4.02
983 ratings
The Great Bridge
by David McCullough • 1972
The father died. The son collapsed. The daughter-in-law stepped in and built the Brooklyn Bridge.
4.26
19k+
The Great Bridge Summary
The Great Bridge 87%
The father died. The son collapsed. The daughter-in-law stepped in and built the Brooklyn Bridge.
by David McCullough 1972
4.26
19k+ ratings
The Federal Management Playbook
by Ira Goldstein • 2016
Federal leadership follows different rules. A playbook for getting results inside the bureaucracy.
4.40
10
The Federal Management Playbook Summary
The Federal Management Playbook 87%
Federal leadership follows different rules. A playbook for getting results inside the bureaucracy.
by Ira Goldstein 2016
4.40
10 ratings
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
by Jane Jacobs • 1961
Slums with low crime and safe sidewalks: the invisible logic cities follow when planners look away.
4.29
20k+
The Death and Life of Great American Cities Summary
The Death and Life of Great American Cities 87%
Slums with low crime and safe sidewalks: the invisible logic cities follow when planners look away.
by Jane Jacobs 1961
4.29
20k+ ratings
The Smart Enough City
by Ben Green • 2019
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
4.12
208
The Smart Enough City Summary
The Smart Enough City 87%
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
by Ben Green 2019
4.12
208 ratings
Panama Fever
by Matthew Parker • 2007
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
3.80
920
Panama Fever Summary
Panama Fever 87%
A forty-mile obsession that cost 25,000 lives: how a four-century dream became the Panama Canal.
by Matthew Parker 2007
3.80
920 ratings
Systems Thinking in the Public Sector
by John Seddon • 2008
Why targets, inspections, and outsourcing make government worse, and how to actually fix it.
3.94
102
Systems Thinking in the Public Sector Summary
Systems Thinking in the Public Sector 87%
Why targets, inspections, and outsourcing make government worse, and how to actually fix it.
by John Seddon 2008
3.94
102 ratings
Happy City
by Charles Montgomery • 2012
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
4.36
10k+
Happy City Summary
Happy City 87%
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
by Charles Montgomery 2012
4.36
10k+ ratings
Classics of Public Administration
by Jay M. Shafritz • 1978
From ancient duty to modern governance: the readings that built public administration.
3.65
287
Classics of Public Administration Summary
Classics of Public Administration 87%
From ancient duty to modern governance: the readings that built public administration.
by Jay M. Shafritz 1978
3.65
287 ratings
Against the smart city
by Adam Greenfield • 2013
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
3.96
132
Against the smart city Summary
Against the smart city 87%
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
by Adam Greenfield 2013
3.96
132 ratings
The Big Thirst
by Charles Fishman • 2010
For a century, water was too cheap to notice. That era ended, and we didn't see it coming.
3.94
2k+
The Big Thirst Summary
The Big Thirst 87%
For a century, water was too cheap to notice. That era ended, and we didn't see it coming.
by Charles Fishman 2010
3.94
2k+ ratings
Results
by Charlie Baker • 2022
A governor's playbook for fixing bureaucracy: capable people, honest data, relentless execution.
3.80
89
Results Summary
Results 87%
A governor's playbook for fixing bureaucracy: capable people, honest data, relentless execution.
by Charlie Baker 2022
3.80
89 ratings
Nowhere to Live
by James S. Burling • 2024
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
4.00
12
Nowhere to Live Summary
Nowhere to Live 87%
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
by James S. Burling 2024
4.00
12 ratings
An Introduction to the Policy Process
by Thomas A. Birkland • 2001
Policy fails less from bad ideas than from the battles over attention, framing, and implementation.
3.58
288
An Introduction to the Policy Process Summary
An Introduction to the Policy Process 87%
Policy fails less from bad ideas than from the battles over attention, framing, and implementation.
by Thomas A. Birkland 2001
3.58
288 ratings
Radical Cities
by Justin McGuirk • 2014
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
4.27
434
Radical Cities Summary
Radical Cities 87%
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
by Justin McGuirk 2014
4.27
434 ratings
Glimpses of Utopia
by Jess Scully • 2020
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
3.97
110
Glimpses of Utopia Summary
Glimpses of Utopia 87%
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
by Jess Scully 2020
3.97
110 ratings
⿻ 數位 Plurality
by E. Glen Weyl • 2024
Tech promised liberation but delivered surveillance and polarization. Taiwan found the off-ramp.
3.51
47
⿻ 數位 Plurality Summary
⿻ 數位 Plurality 87%
Tech promised liberation but delivered surveillance and polarization. Taiwan found the off-ramp.
by E. Glen Weyl 2024
3.51
47 ratings
Public Administration and Public Affairs
by D. J. Henry • 1980
Designed for gridlock, American government still delivers. This is the machinery.
3.64
104
Public Administration and Public Affairs Summary
Public Administration and Public Affairs 87%
Designed for gridlock, American government still delivers. This is the machinery.
by D. J. Henry 1980
3.64
104 ratings
The Great Reset
by Richard Florida • 2010
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
3.59
656
The Great Reset Summary
The Great Reset 87%
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
by Richard Florida 2010
3.59
656 ratings
Paint Your Town Red
by Matthew Brown • 2021
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
3.71
173
Paint Your Town Red Summary
Paint Your Town Red 87%
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
by Matthew Brown 2021
3.71
173 ratings
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