Science and the City: The Mechanics Behind the Metropolis (Bloomsbury Sigma) Hardcover – 11 Aug. 2016

I actually bought this book as a present for a family member because I thought she'd enjoy it, and find it interesting. I managed to pick up this book over my holiday to have a good read myself - although the topic is generally quite interesting, and it does give insight into how things are done - I find the writing style a bit less advanced that other books on similar topics. The level of writing is probably more similar at high GCSE / low A-level if terms of quality of content - I don't intend this comment to come across as a snobby: what I mean is, if you compare information given to students in revision books at that level - the information is delivered in a similar way! There are definitely more interesting chapters for one to read, but I think that is also down to personal preference.

I don’t remember the last time I read a book that featured so much corporate puffery. One seriously begins to wonder what the profit margin must be for such a short book which contains so much advertising. Must’ve been incredible. So well done on that front. Edifying read, however, it really is not.While the author seems very knowledgeable about the topic, and notwithstanding the fact that the topic is very compelling, the book was an absolute waste of money and I urge others not to make the same mistake I did in buying it.After every explanation of every novel technology, we’re treated to the (undeclared) “...and now a word from our sponsors” section, where author rolls a few pat-back questions to the brand behind the tech, such as “how did you manage to do such a great job?” or “What part of your successful design do you think is the best?”It gets really quite embarrassing.I should add, I don’t have hard evidence that the advertisements in the book were actually paid for by the brands in question, but it certainly appears that way and I wonder if this is the new way of the world now... are we expected to pay for the ads we endure?No thanks.

If you're interested in the built environment (perhaps you're a fan of 99% Invisible) then this is the book for you. The author manages to present the almost impossibly wide topic in a clear and engaging way.Written as an ode to the modern city, the author injects her infectious enthusiasm and humour into the pages to make a potentially dry subject really engaging. The balance between basic science, current technology and future predictions is just right; not too basic for those with a science background but also unlikely to lose the casual reader.Given how important cities are to our modern world, this is a must read non-fiction book.Disclosure: I precious worked with the author and was interviewed for this book.

This book is wonderful - it doesn't just answer the questions that occur to you when walking around our cities, it answers ones you never even thought of. And its written with such an excitement, enthusiasm, and (sometimes rare) positivity and belief that intelligent, well thought-out and sustainable engineering can be a huge benefit to society as a whole, that you end us joining the author in eagerly anticipating what the future holds for our urban centres

This is a great book. Very accessible, lots of interesting facts I certainly didn't know or appreciate regarding how modern cities work and may work in the future. The chapters cover a key topic relating to how a city works and all have a richness about them that draws the reader in. I like and appreciate the discourse on the potential futures aswell. Definitely worth a read and well up there in terms of popular science books.

I absolutely love the way this book has been written. It feels like a friend is talking to me, it enables non-scientific minds like myself to understand, appreciate and learn about the science facts that is overwhelming in other contexts. Definitely a must read. So many little facts that can be included in design technology lessons as starter activity questions.

Really enjoyed this book. The author's enthusiasm for all things tech is infectious and it's written in a very accessible style. There's so much I didn't know about the science and technology behind how cities work. The chapters are in nice bite-sized chunks so I managed to get through one per commute. Would recommend it!

A wonderful book which is a treat for scientists, school students and the general public. Winkless is clearly an expert, who can explain her research to any audience. The book is not just a catalogue of facts, but a cleverly worded demonstration of how important science is in our daily lives.