A Walk Around the Block: Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhole Mysteries & Other Stuff You See Every Day (And Know Nothing About) by Spike Carlsen
Spike Carlsen . Unknown Year . English
“Carlsen sees a world of wonder hiding in plain sight and may just change how you look at the world around you.” - TODAY Show 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. 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 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.
Categories: Engineering & Applied Technology
About the Author
Spike Carlsen (spikecarlsen.com) has been writing about the world around us for the past 25 years. His first book, "A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers and Baseball Bats," was selected as a NPR "Best Book of the Year for Gift Giving" and became Amazon's #1 "Mover and Shaker." He has written numerous other books on self-sufficiency and woodworking as well as "Cabin Lesson"—a construction memoir. His latest book, "A Walk Around the Block: Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhole Mysteries & Other Stuff you see Every day (but know nothing about," was released by Harper One, October 2020 and will be available in paperback mid-September of 2021. He is former Executive Editor of Family Handyman magazine where he wrote hundreds of articles on home improvement and oversaw the creation of dozens of books including the revised "Readers Digest, Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual". He has written articles forThe Wall Street Journal, Readers' Digest, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Men's Health, MAKE, Fine Homebuilding, Mother Earth News and other publications. He has made appearances on The Today Show, Modern Marvels, the CBS Early Show, Cabin Living, The Weekend Today Show, HGTV's "25 Biggest Renovating Mistakes" and many other national radio and television shows. His checkered past includes working as a carpenter for 15 years, teaching elementary school in Denver, working at a secondary school in Tanzania and building hurdy gurdys and harps. He and his wife Kat have five adult children and 8 grand daughters (yep, all girls) and live in historic Stillwater, Minnesota. In his spare time he enjoys riding his wood bike, serving on the library board, teaching woodworking to kids and renovating (and renovating and renovating) their 1850s Greek Revival home.
