Spike Carlsen

"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.

"No neighborhood walk will ever be the same after Spike Carlsen reveals to you the extraordinary origins of your ordinary surroundings" —Rebecca Martin, technical editor, Mother Earth News and Grit

"Writing in the mode of Edward Humes, David Owen, and Mary Roach, Carlsen offers an eye-opening and exuberantly informative walk-around-the-block tour." —Booklist, starred review

"A unique book that will have readers looking at everyday objects in different ways." —Library Journal

"An entertaining and informative read" —Physics Today

"A Walk Around the Block succeeds in making the mundane fascinating, opening our minds (and front doors) to an everyday world easily taken for granted." —Bookpage, starred review

"This book is going to make you observe your world differently." —Philadelphia Tribune

Create an account