
How Infrastructure Works
Inside the Systems That Shape Our World
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Narrated by:
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Kathe Mazur
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By:
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Deb Chachra
About this listen
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Revelatory, superbly written, and pulsing with wisdom and humanity, How Infrastructure Works is a masterpiece.” —Ed Yong, author of An Immense World
A new way of seeing the essential systems hidden inside our walls, under our streets, and all around us
Infrastructure is a marvel, meeting our basic needs and enabling lives of astounding ease and productivity that would have been unimaginable just a century ago. It is the physical manifestation of our social contract—of our ability to work collectively for the public good—and it consists of the most complex and vast technological systems ever created by humans.
A soaring bridge is an obvious infrastructural feat, but so are the mostly hidden reservoirs, transformers, sewers, cables, and pipes that deliver water, energy, and information to wherever we need it. When these systems work well, they hide in plain sight. Engineer and materials scientist Deb Chachra takes listeners on a fascinating tour of these essential utilities, revealing how they work, what it takes to keep them running, just how much we rely on them—but also whom they work well for, and who pays the costs.
Across the U.S. and elsewhere, these systems are suffering from systemic neglect and the effects of climate change, becoming unavoidably visible when they break down. Communities that are already marginalized often bear the brunt of these failures. But Chachra maps out a path for transforming and rebuilding our shared infrastructure to be not just functional but also equitable, resilient, and sustainable. The cost of not being able to rely on these systems is unthinkably high. We need to learn how to see them—and fix them, together—before it’s too late.
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Critic reviews
“Essential. . . . a passionate argument for the political necessity of functioning infrastructure.” —Annalee Newitz, The Washington Post
"This book articulates something of a philosophy of infrastructure: both a convincing call for us to think harder about these systems and a road map for how we might do so productively. . . . Chachra’s vision is positive, even galvanizing." —The Atlantic
“As the world deals with climate instability, Chachra offers a vision of inclusive design that reimagines what communities can become. Writing with enthusiasm and clarity, Chachra explains complex systems and human dynamics in this approachable, informative study of the world around us.” —Booklist
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What listeners say about How Infrastructure Works
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-26-24
Liked the concept, lovely contemplated and executed.
It was great to see a story about a concept that touches deep in our veins as a society that we never think about - it does change the perspective of how to see the world.
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- Thomas Taylor
- 11-28-23
Intelligent and Thoughtful
The author makes an excellent argument on what societies need to do to preserve and enhance the human condition. Even the technological “how” is well-presented. The sociological “how” left me more pessimistic than the author, I think, intended.
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- Eric
- 01-09-24
Mistitled
From the title you might expect to learn some interesting technical intricacies about infrastructure, or perhaps important but easily overlooked details about infrastructure.
That’s not what this book is about.
Instead it’s a call to reimagine infrastructure to make it more equitable and sustainable for the centuries to come. Few details are given on how to achieve this vision, although the author places a lot of weight on global public sector collaboration and the exclusion of private investment.
The goal is very laudable but the lack of realism in how to achieve it leaves the reader disappointed.
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- Garrett Mccutcheon
- 12-03-23
nothing new to say
Less about infrastructure itself, more a tedious rant about issues most of us are already familiar with and no attempt to propose solutions or different ways of approaching the problems.
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- Fred
- 02-19-25
Clickbait
If you want to write an autobiography fine write one and title it so. If you want to write a social justice warrior manifesto fine write one and title it so. I was hoping to learn more about how infrastructure works. My bad for believing the cover.
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