Design: Architecture, Engineering, and Urban Planning
Certain topics are easy to find books on - evolution and quantum physics get whole sections at the bookstore. Some topics? More difficult to learn about as an outsider. Despite engineering and architecture playing enormous roles in everyone's lives, it's much harder to find books on these topics for the general public. But not for lack of trying! Here's some books I've enjoyed that have given me an appreciation for homes and cities, and bring excitement to the mundanity of everyday objects.
A note: I tried reading Jane Jacobs's famous book (The Death and Life of Great American Cities). I found it interesting but very anecdotal and had a hard time finishing it (sorry), partially because some of the books listed built onto her concepts in a much more updated fashion.
Happy City, by Charles Montgomery
A great starting place to understand the perils of urban planning, this book takes you around the world to understand how cities can help (or harm) its citizens. This was the first book I read on urban planning and it helped me pick up on everyday nuances and how they help me appreciate city living.
Walkable City, by Jeff Speck
A great in-depth look at cities from the perspective of walkability, Speck does not hold back as someone who has played a major role in the planning of numerous towns and cities. He pulls from loads of research as well as his personal experience, and isn't afraid to call out those who prevent cities from being more walkable, happier, and healthier. Gave me a great appreciation for sidewalks and a walkable downtown!
The Big Roads, by Earl Swift
As someone who loves road trips, accessibility to interstate highways and the ability to travel to destinations quickly and easily is something that I take for granted. This fascinating history of America's highways gives a new appreciation for the efforts and cost that went into designing our interstate highway system, and the details of the steps to get there. Learning about how Eisenhower was (not surprisingly) not the mastermind behind the system that features his name was quite interesting. The perfect book for a road trip.