Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I Incoming
Chapter 1 The Front Porch: Rocking Back and Forth with the American Dream 7
Chapter 2 Electricity: Birds on Wires and Sparking Pliers 12
Chapter 3 Water: Towers, Faucets, and Meters 26
Chapter 4 Mail: First-Class Diamonds, Babies, and Rattlesnakes 38
Chapter 5 Telephone Wires and Waves: From Tin Can to iPhone (to the Bieber) 54
Part II Outgoing
Chapter 6 Recycling: From A+ to D in One Hour Flat 65
Chapter 7 Sewers: The Lifesaving World of Wastewater Below 79
Chapter 8 Trash: How to Fit Three Tons of Trash into a One-Pint jar 93
Chapter 9 Roadkill (and Litter): Squished, Plucked, and Plogged 107
Part III Surfaces
Chapter 10 Bike Lanes: Pedaling Uphill and into the Wind 117
Chapter 11 Asphalt Streets: Pavement, Potholes, and Mummy Paint 129
Chapter 12 Alleys: One Man's Love Affair 136
Chapter 13 Concrete: Sidewalks, Dams, and that Damn Joan Crawford 140
Chapter 14 Parking: The Secret Cost of Free Parking 150
Chapter 15 Walking: Soles for the Body, Mind, and Soul 156
Chapter 16 The Block: The Feast of a Great Community 170
Part IV Nature
Chapter 17 Pigeons: Vindicating Rats with Wings 179
Chapter 18 Parks: Where Cities Pause to Catch Their Breaths 194
Chapter 19 Lawns: Caring for Your Seven Million Little Plants 205
Chapter 20 Trees: Stiletto Heels and Stumping to Survive 214
Chapter 21 Squirrels: The Gnawing Truth 228
Chapter 22 Snow: The Fate of My 3,358 Inches 241
Part V Signs, Lines, and Lights
Chapter 23 STOP! Green Lights, Red Signs, and Roundabouts 255
Chapter 24 Road Lines and Signs: The Language of Signs and Dashes 266
Chapter 25 Street Names and Numbers: Stravenues and Psycho Paths 280
Chapter 26 Graffiti: Making a Mark on the World 287
Epilogue 299
Acknowledgments 303
Notes 307