Agrawal has a gift for rendering complex phenomena in simple terms, such as her explanation of the critical failures that led to the collapse of the Twin Towers. For those of us who are architecturally inclined but somewhat maths-averse, it’s a real treat.
Unravelling the surprising stories behind our built environment, it takes readers on a global romp through the ages, from the ancient aqueducts of Nineveh to the double-stacked elevators of the Burj Khalifa ... Writing in a chatty style (which sometimes verges on the patronising tone of a children’s TV presenter), she weaves accessible explanations of scientific principles together with engaging historical stories and personal anecdotes ... Agrawal traces each idea back to its origins, before bringing it up to date with a contemporary example, a format that allows you to dip in and out.
Part travelogue, part history lesson and part tutorial, her book infects us with the passion she feels for what she does all day as a London-based engineer for a multinational firm ... Buildings serve as one spine of her story ... Bridges serve as another recurring theme ... the book as a whole is a decidedly personal one. It includes regular, and somewhat distracting at times, references to Ms. Agrawal’s childhood in upstate New York and Mumbai, her trips abroad with her parents, and ultimately her experience of finding a husband ... Built conveys insight into the built environment in an unusually accessible style—the kind of insight that will help lay readers look differently at the world around them.
A self-proclaimed 'geek,' she shares her discoveries far above and below ground with an enthusiasm worthy of Dora the Explorer. She will inspire young women who are considering a career in engineering ... she shines when explaining the sorts of things people might be too shy to admit they find inherently fascinating.
Noting structures around the world that attract her interest, such as the London sewer system and Mexico City’s cathedral, and saluting her 'idol,' Emily Warren Roebling, wife of the engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, Agrawal will vividly inform, enthuse, and inspire readers.
hough the writing is often overly awestruck (as when Agrawal proclaims that buildings 'provide the canvas of our existence'), the book successfully communicates the author’s love of engineering and the extraordinary impact of her profession on the everyday lives of people.
A delightful introduction to the science of engineering and those key in its development, from Brunelleschi and his Duomo in Florence to Emily Roebling’s Brooklyn Bridge to Fazlur Khan’s monumental Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building.
