--- product_id: 419461933 title: "Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment" price: "750 kr" currency: NOK in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.no/products/419461933-engineering-in-plain-sight-an-illustrated-field-guide-to-constructed store_origin: NO region: Norway --- # Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment **Price:** 750 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment - **How much does it cost?** 750 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.no](https://www.desertcart.no/products/419461933-engineering-in-plain-sight-an-illustrated-field-guide-to-constructed) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Engineering in Plain Sight is a beautifully illustrated field guide with accessible explanations to nearly every part of the constructed world around us. Author Grady Hillhouse is the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Practical Engineering (over 4.5 million subscribers!) and this book is essentially 50 new episodes crammed between two covers. Engineering in Plain Sight extends the field guide genre from natural phenomena to human-made structures, making them approachable and understandable to non-engineers. It transforms readers' perspectives of the built environment, converting the act of looking at infrastructure from a mundane inevitability into an everyday diversion and joy. Each section of this accessible, informative book features colorful illustrations revealing the fascinating details of how the human-made world works. An ideal road trip companion, this book offers a fresh perspective on the parts of the environment that often blend into the background. Readers will learn to identify characteristics of the electrical grid, roadways, railways, bridges, tunnels, waterways, and more. Engineering in Plain Sight inspires curiosity, interest, and engagement in how the infrastructure around us is designed and constructed. Review: It's our go-to bedtime book now - My 5 year old son is obsessed with construction and infrastructure, and I thought this was a good gift for him. What I did not anticipate is my son wanting to read it EVERY NIGHT before bedtime, each time asking to start from the very beginning. It has colorful illustrations on every other page, alternating with monochrome illustrations on every alternate page. I also did not anticipate my husband and I to sneak this book our of my son's room in the evenings, to read it ourselves. Only to wake up to an upset child who can't find his favorite book! It explains complex concepts in easy to understand language that I can then retell my 5 year old. It doesn't treat a reader as a 5 year old, rather explaining things clearly and plainly without making them childish and too generalized. I would recommend to anyone, now I have a renewed interest in looking around for electric poles wiring, storm drains and train tracks. Not just a fun book, but adds fun to your everyday life by making you pay attention to little noticed things that make our world run. Review: Great book from a smart guy! - I already knew of Grady from his YouTube channel, Practical Engineering, but I would recommend this book even to folks who don't know the first thing about engineering. I am very much not a Math Person, and for years I was very intimidated by the mere idea of engineering. Grady is so talented at explaining the information and making it accessible that I found myself not just learning some basic concepts but enjoying it too. And once I had the book in hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to - as he puts it - explore the constructed environment. We see so much of this stuff, every day! It's almost like a glimpse into a strange world, all the things that make modern life possible - and comfortable! The book is well organized, the illustrations are both informative and in places very amusing (there's a poor unfortunate engineer), and while this is not necessarily aimed at kids, I feel like my ten year old nephew would have NO trouble understanding the material, and would likely enjoy it too! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #12,065 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in Architectural Buildings #11 in Civil & Environmental Engineering #13 in Construction Engineering (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,295 Reviews | ## Images ![Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Xq1HHW3rL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's our go-to bedtime book now *by E***A on February 27, 2023* My 5 year old son is obsessed with construction and infrastructure, and I thought this was a good gift for him. What I did not anticipate is my son wanting to read it EVERY NIGHT before bedtime, each time asking to start from the very beginning. It has colorful illustrations on every other page, alternating with monochrome illustrations on every alternate page. I also did not anticipate my husband and I to sneak this book our of my son's room in the evenings, to read it ourselves. Only to wake up to an upset child who can't find his favorite book! It explains complex concepts in easy to understand language that I can then retell my 5 year old. It doesn't treat a reader as a 5 year old, rather explaining things clearly and plainly without making them childish and too generalized. I would recommend to anyone, now I have a renewed interest in looking around for electric poles wiring, storm drains and train tracks. Not just a fun book, but adds fun to your everyday life by making you pay attention to little noticed things that make our world run. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book from a smart guy! *by S***N on June 1, 2023* I already knew of Grady from his YouTube channel, Practical Engineering, but I would recommend this book even to folks who don't know the first thing about engineering. I am very much not a Math Person, and for years I was very intimidated by the mere idea of engineering. Grady is so talented at explaining the information and making it accessible that I found myself not just learning some basic concepts but enjoying it too. And once I had the book in hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to - as he puts it - explore the constructed environment. We see so much of this stuff, every day! It's almost like a glimpse into a strange world, all the things that make modern life possible - and comfortable! The book is well organized, the illustrations are both informative and in places very amusing (there's a poor unfortunate engineer), and while this is not necessarily aimed at kids, I feel like my ten year old nephew would have NO trouble understanding the material, and would likely enjoy it too! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book for the adult and aspiring young engineer. *by J***D on March 22, 2026* This is a great book on the civil engineering world we tend to not pay attention to. My 10 year old grandson borrowed it and has not returned it. He is fascinated and so am I. Well done. ## Frequently Bought Together - Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment - Open Circuits: The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components (Packaging may vary) - The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.no/products/419461933-engineering-in-plain-sight-an-illustrated-field-guide-to-constructed](https://www.desertcart.no/products/419461933-engineering-in-plain-sight-an-illustrated-field-guide-to-constructed) --- *Product available on Desertcart Norway* *Store origin: NO* *Last updated: 2026-09-17*