Review: A Walk Around the Block by Spike Carlsen

Genre: Non-Fiction 
Publisher: HarperOne 
Released: Oct. 20, 2020
328 pages

About the Book:

A simple walk around the block set journalist Spike Carlsen, bestselling author of A Splintered History of Wood, off to investigate everything he could about everything we take for granted in our normal life—from manhole covers and recycling bins to bike lanes and stoplights. In this celebration of the seemingly mundane, Carlsen opens our eyes to the engineering marvels, human stories, and natural wonders right outside our front door. He guides us through the surprising allure of sewers, the intricacies of power plants, the extraordinary path of an everyday letter, and the genius of recycling centers—all the while revealing that this awesome world isn’t just a spectator sport.

As engaging as it is endearing, A Walk Around the Block will change the way you see things in your everyday life. Join Carlsen as he strolls through the trash museum of New York City; explores the quirky world of squirrels, pigeons, and roadkill; and shows us how understanding stoplights, bike lanes, and the fine art of walking can add years to our lives. In the end, he brings a sense of wonder into your average walk around the block, wherever you are. Guaranteed. 

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had an up and down experience with this book. There are 26 chapters in this book and each chapter is dedicated to a particular subject matter, i.e. Mail, Recycling, Road Design, etc. There were some chapters that felt like they went over my head with some of the terms being used, but then there were other chapters that I became completely absorbed in and wanted to learn even more. Overall, I learned so much from this book. The chapters that talked about things I was not interested in, i.e. sewage, felt dull and a bit long. However when it came to the chapters that captured my interest such as how mail is processed and gets from one place to the next, I could have kept reading about it. My favourite chapters were about Mail and Traffic Lights. There were so many interesting facts provided that I plan to keep this book on my shelves so I can refer back to it. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)