Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future - Softcover

Mary Soderstrom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0889777802 ISBN 13: 9780889777804

Publisher: University of Regina Press, 2020

Synopsis

Imagine what the world would be like without concrete: there'd be no high-rises, no grand irrigation projects, no lettuce from southern climes in the winter, no multi-lane highways crisscrossing continents, a shortage of electricity, more mud in some places, more solitude in others. But because of the fossil fuels and other resources required to make concrete, there also would be less CO2 in the atmosphere and less dramatic climate change. In Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future , Soderstrom tells the story of concrete's glorious past, extravagant present, and uncertain future with careful research, lively anecdotes, and thoughtful reflection. The framework for this exploration is one the Romans—famous for concrete structures that are still strong—would understand: the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. ""[For] those of us who are thinking about, and educating for, deep cultural change, . . . for those of us that care about what it means to be good, in the deepest sense; to participants in an earth-system that is failing at human hands, in the context of recognizing the repercussions of the Anthropocene."" —Laura Sewall, author of Sight and Sensibility: The Ecopsychology of Perception

About this title

About the Author

Mary Soderstrom has come far from her birthplace of Walla Walla, Washington. A world traveller, Soderstrom is now a Canadian and Montrealer. She is also the award-winning author of more than a dozen fiction and non-fiction books, including her acclaimed Road Through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move, and most recently, Frenemy Nations: Love and Hate between Neighbo(u)ring States.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Regina Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0889777802
• ISBN 13: 9780889777804
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272