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A walk around the block : stoplight secrets, mischievous squirrels, manhole mysteries & other stuff you see every day (and know nothing about)  Cover Image Book Book

A walk around the block : stoplight secrets, mischievous squirrels, manhole mysteries & other stuff you see every day (and know nothing about)

Summary: "On his regular walk one morning, Spike Carlsen realized there was an entire world outside his front door that he knew nothing about. How does that fire hydrant work, he wondered? Why are street lights shining more brightly than ever before? And, on a more personal level, why does an easy stroll around the neighborhood always leave him feeling more creative and spry, better able to take on the day? A simple walk around the block set Carlsen off on an investigative journey to discover everything he could about every thing we take for granted in our everyday life, from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes. Leading readers on a spirited adventure through his hometown, and other environs, Carlsen explains with wit and erudition the engineering marvels, unheralded utilities, and secret economic and health benefits hiding in plain sight. Like how the addition of a front porch reduces crime and increases property value. And how planting a $10 boulevard tree cuts air-conditioning costs by 20 percent, while generating approximately $30,000 worth of oxygen and $31,000 worth of erosion control. Or how a simple walk, in addition to reduce your chances of a stroke (20 percent), cardiovascular disease (30 percent), and broken bones (40 percent), can increase creativity by 60 percent. Engaging, entertaining, and informative, A Walk Around the Block is a narrative celebration of all the seemingly random stuff we encounter at any given moment"--

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780062954756
  • ISBN: 006295475X
  • ISBN: 9780062954763
  • ISBN: 0062954768
  • ISBN: 9780062954770
  • Physical Description: print
    328 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York, NY : HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2020]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references (pages [307]-328).
Formatted Contents Note: Incoming. The front porch: rocking back and forth with the American dream -- Electricity: birds on wire and sparking pliers -- Water: towers, faucets, and meters -- Mail: first-class diamonds, babies, and rattlesnakes -- Telephone wires and waves: from tin can to iPhone (to the Bieber) ---- Outgoing. Recycling: from A+ to D in one hour flat -- Sewers: the lifesaving world of wastewater below -- Trash: how to fit three tons of trash into a one-pint jar -- Roadkill (and litter): squished, plucked, and plogged ---- Surfaces. Bike lanes: pedaling uphill and into the wind -- Asphalt streets: pavement, potholes, and mummy paint -- Alleys: one man's love affair -- Concrete: sidewalks, dams, and the damn Joan Crawford -- Parking: the secret cost of free parking -- Walking: soles for the body, mind, and soul -- The block: the feast of a great community ---- Nature. Pigeons: vindicating rats with wings -- Parks: where cities pause to catch their breaths -- Lawns: caring for your seven million little plants -- Trees: stiletto heels and stumping to survive -- Squirrels: the gnawing truth -- Snow: the fate of my 3,358 inches ---- Sign, lines, and lights. STOP! Green lights, red signs, and roundabouts -- Road lines and signs: the language of signs and dashes -- Street names and numbers: stravenues and psycho paths -- Graffiti: making a mark on the world -- Epilogue.
Subject: Curiosities and wonders
Material culture Miscellanea
Recreation Miscellanea
Inventions Miscellanea
Questions and answers
Curiosities and wonders
Inventions Miscellanea
Questions and answers
Genre: Trivia and miscellanea.
Trivia and miscellanea.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Library. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Library System. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Homer Public Library 031.02 CAR (Text) 000159125 Nonfiction Available -

LDR 04907cam a2200517 i 4500
001103834
003HLC
00520210112020712.0
008200609t20202020nyua b 000 0 eng
010 . ‡a 2020025829
019 . ‡a1199334561
020 . ‡a9780062954756 ‡qhardcover
020 . ‡a006295475X ‡qhardcover
020 . ‡a9780062954763 ‡qtrade paperback
020 . ‡a0062954768 ‡qtrade paperback
020 . ‡z9780062954770 ‡qelectronic book
035 . ‡a(OCoLC)1158503902 ‡z(OCoLC)1199334561
040 . ‡aDLC ‡beng ‡erda ‡cDLC ‡dOCLCO ‡dOCLCF ‡dOJ4 ‡dUAP ‡dYU6 ‡dJDP ‡dOCLCO ‡dYEQ ‡dJQM ‡dYDX ‡dXY8
042 . ‡apcc
049 . ‡aXY8A
05000. ‡aAG243 ‡b.C358 2020
08200. ‡a031/.02 ‡223
1001 . ‡aCarlsen, Spike, ‡d1952- ‡eauthor.
24512. ‡aA walk around the block : ‡bstoplight secrets, mischievous squirrels, manhole mysteries & other stuff you see every day (and know nothing about) / ‡cSpike Carlsen.
250 . ‡aFirst edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York, NY : ‡bHarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, ‡c[2020]
264 4. ‡c©2020
300 . ‡a328 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c22 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages [307]-328).
520 . ‡a"On his regular walk one morning, Spike Carlsen realized there was an entire world outside his front door that he knew nothing about. How does that fire hydrant work, he wondered? Why are street lights shining more brightly than ever before? And, on a more personal level, why does an easy stroll around the neighborhood always leave him feeling more creative and spry, better able to take on the day? A simple walk around the block set Carlsen off on an investigative journey to discover everything he could about every thing we take for granted in our everyday life, from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes. Leading readers on a spirited adventure through his hometown, and other environs, Carlsen explains with wit and erudition the engineering marvels, unheralded utilities, and secret economic and health benefits hiding in plain sight. Like how the addition of a front porch reduces crime and increases property value. And how planting a $10 boulevard tree cuts air-conditioning costs by 20 percent, while generating approximately $30,000 worth of oxygen and $31,000 worth of erosion control. Or how a simple walk, in addition to reduce your chances of a stroke (20 percent), cardiovascular disease (30 percent), and broken bones (40 percent), can increase creativity by 60 percent. Engaging, entertaining, and informative, A Walk Around the Block is a narrative celebration of all the seemingly random stuff we encounter at any given moment"-- ‡cProvided by publisher.
50500. ‡gIncoming. ‡tThe front porch: rocking back and forth with the American dream -- ‡tElectricity: birds on wire and sparking pliers -- ‡tWater: towers, faucets, and meters -- ‡tMail: first-class diamonds, babies, and rattlesnakes -- ‡tTelephone wires and waves: from tin can to iPhone (to the Bieber) ---- ‡gOutgoing. ‡tRecycling: from A+ to D in one hour flat -- ‡tSewers: the lifesaving world of wastewater below -- ‡tTrash: how to fit three tons of trash into a one-pint jar -- ‡tRoadkill (and litter): squished, plucked, and plogged ---- ‡gSurfaces. ‡tBike lanes: pedaling uphill and into the wind -- ‡tAsphalt streets: pavement, potholes, and mummy paint -- ‡tAlleys: one man's love affair -- ‡tConcrete: sidewalks, dams, and the damn Joan Crawford -- ‡tParking: the secret cost of free parking -- ‡tWalking: soles for the body, mind, and soul -- ‡tThe block: the feast of a great community ---- ‡gNature. ‡tPigeons: vindicating rats with wings -- ‡tParks: where cities pause to catch their breaths -- ‡tLawns: caring for your seven million little plants -- ‡tTrees: stiletto heels and stumping to survive -- ‡tSquirrels: the gnawing truth -- ‡tSnow: the fate of my 3,358 inches ---- ‡gSign, lines, and lights. ‡tSTOP! Green lights, red signs, and roundabouts -- ‡tRoad lines and signs: the language of signs and dashes -- ‡tStreet names and numbers: stravenues and psycho paths -- ‡tGraffiti: making a mark on the world -- ‡gEpilogue.
650 0. ‡aCuriosities and wonders.
650 0. ‡aMaterial culture ‡xMiscellanea.
650 0. ‡aRecreation ‡xMiscellanea.
650 0. ‡aInventions ‡xMiscellanea.
650 0. ‡aQuestions and answers.
650 7. ‡aCuriosities and wonders. ‡2fast ‡0(OCoLC)fst00885285
650 7. ‡aInventions ‡xMiscellanea. ‡2fast ‡0(OCoLC)fst00978010
650 7. ‡aQuestions and answers. ‡2fast ‡0(OCoLC)fst01085701
655 0. ‡aTrivia and miscellanea.
655 7. ‡aTrivia and miscellanea. ‡2lcgft
77608. ‡iOnline version: ‡aCarlsen, Spike, ‡tWalk around the block ‡bFirst. ‡dSan Francicso : HarperOne, 2020. ‡z9780062954770 ‡w(DLC) 2020025830
994 . ‡aC0 ‡bXY8
905 . ‡udbernard
901 . ‡a103834 ‡b ‡c103834 ‡tbiblio ‡soclc

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