Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World's Most Common Man-Made Material, by Robert Courland, 2011.
Non-fiction, obviously. I had thought the subtitle might be trying too hard, but it turns out to be, in my estimation, a perfectly accurate description of this book.
The first eight chapters take the reader through the history of concrete. From the evidence that concrete was being made
before humans began to grow crops or fire their pottery, through to modern times and the current widespread use of reinforced concrete. Along the way we learn of the people and societies involved and the objects they created. Although this may sound dry, it is well researched, mostly well written (there were some parts through the middle I found a bit harder going), and has touches of humour to enliven the text. For example:
Quote:
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A surviving portrait bust of Cato exemplifies Roman mastery of subtle character delineation, for the sculpture shows a sour-faced, unrepentant reactionary. Today he would probably be a popular talk show host.
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The life and works of Frank Lloyd Wright are covered in some detail. The Sydney Opera House also gets discussed, with the author describing Australia of the time as "Kansas with kangaroos"
.
The final two chapters reach what I suspect is the real inspiration and purpose behind this book. A quote (actually from earlier in the book) is probably the best way to sum this up:
Quote:
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There has been an explosion of interest in Roman concrete, and it is not hard to see why. The Romans used concrete to build edifices capable of lasting thousands of years, while most modern concrete structures are incapable of lasting two centuries—and many are unlikely to endure beyond just one.
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The author explains some of the current misconceptions about concrete (that it is fireproof, earthquake-proof and permanent) and how these came about. He discusses the high environmental impact of producing so much concrete. And he goes into what this is likely to cost us, and what can be done about it.
It's a good book that comes around to discussing issues of real and current concern.