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Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day
We use water, electricity, and the internet every day--but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.
What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?
For every utility we use each day, there’s a hidden history--a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past--and reveals how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.
Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science and what needs to be done now to change the future.
What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?
For every utility we use each day, there’s a hidden history--a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past--and reveals how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.
Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science and what needs to be done now to change the future.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
April 17, 2023
I saw this book reviewed in the Sunday edition of our local newspaper, and thought that it might make a suitable offering by the Long Suffering Wife to a somewhat apathetic teenager with whom she is attempting to curry favor. To confirm this opinion, I detoured from my steady diet of traditional old-fashioned largely-text-driven books to see if this book lived up to its promise.
It does. It is cleanly illustrated and clearly written. I could even imagine an apathetic teenager picking it up and enjoying it, only minimally aware that they are in serious danger of learning something.
I especially liked the beginning, wherein the author/illustrator demonstrated the perils of imagining the Internet using the metaphors in most common circulation today.
While far from an expert, I have paid more attention to the matters addressed in this book than the average person. I don't think that this book told me anything I didn't know. However, I am getting to the age where I need to be reminded of things I once knew before they fall out of my brain completely, and this book did this admirably.
This book is worth considering for the apathetic teenager in your life.
It does. It is cleanly illustrated and clearly written. I could even imagine an apathetic teenager picking it up and enjoying it, only minimally aware that they are in serious danger of learning something.
I especially liked the beginning, wherein the author/illustrator demonstrated the perils of imagining the Internet using the metaphors in most common circulation today.
While far from an expert, I have paid more attention to the matters addressed in this book than the average person. I don't think that this book told me anything I didn't know. However, I am getting to the age where I need to be reminded of things I once knew before they fall out of my brain completely, and this book did this admirably.
This book is worth considering for the apathetic teenager in your life.
July 29, 2024
Really great. It does what it says it does, with fantastic art. Should be assigned reading for all high school kids. And also politicians.
June 1, 2023
Dan Nott does a superb job of exposing the hidden systems that keep us alive, well lit, and drowning in internet swamps. It's no secret that we use water, electricity, and (almost certainly) the internet every day. But we probably don't think about how we're actually getting all those things. Possibly magic!
And to some degree, after reading Hidden Systems, I might prefer to think of them as magic. If nothing else, Hidden Systems reveals how fallible all these systems are thanks to corruption, misuse, and neglect. Particularly in the case of water, we are not doing a great job of handling our resources (although that's kind of been the case since as least the Industrial Revolution). Both water and electricity are also deeply unequally provided, which is disheartening. By comparison, the internet portions of the book are light and refreshing, though of course there are downsides to how critically our many other hidden systems now rely on the internet.
In any case, the history portions of Hidden Systems are great, as are the intelligently designed diagrams that offer solid explanation of large, abstract concepts. I just wish these hidden systems weren't also such obvious weak points to our very existence.
And to some degree, after reading Hidden Systems, I might prefer to think of them as magic. If nothing else, Hidden Systems reveals how fallible all these systems are thanks to corruption, misuse, and neglect. Particularly in the case of water, we are not doing a great job of handling our resources (although that's kind of been the case since as least the Industrial Revolution). Both water and electricity are also deeply unequally provided, which is disheartening. By comparison, the internet portions of the book are light and refreshing, though of course there are downsides to how critically our many other hidden systems now rely on the internet.
In any case, the history portions of Hidden Systems are great, as are the intelligently designed diagrams that offer solid explanation of large, abstract concepts. I just wish these hidden systems weren't also such obvious weak points to our very existence.
August 25, 2023
Very cool!
January 2, 2024
This was a fascinating read, although it became more focused on the historical context of the systems and less on how they function as the book progressed. If you're most interested in how things function, the internet section was the best.
There were times I would have liked to know more about how the systems functioned, but I did appreciate the way Nott highlighted the effects of the systems we've set up and the ways they prioritize some people over others.
There are brief mentions of examples of infrastructure failures - Nott calls out PG&E, and I believe the Texas power grid comes up (I may be misremembering that - goodness knows I thought about the February 2021 big freeze and the Texas power grid failure a lot during the power grid section) - but it would have been nice to see more of that. I suppose that could have made the book too dated too quickly, though.
There were excellent notes at the end, with bibliographical info. Unfortunately, the notes didn't include page numbers - they only pointed to the chapter and first words of the text they were referring to. Page numbers would have been really useful.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
There were times I would have liked to know more about how the systems functioned, but I did appreciate the way Nott highlighted the effects of the systems we've set up and the ways they prioritize some people over others.
There are brief mentions of examples of infrastructure failures - Nott calls out PG&E, and I believe the Texas power grid comes up (I may be misremembering that - goodness knows I thought about the February 2021 big freeze and the Texas power grid failure a lot during the power grid section) - but it would have been nice to see more of that. I suppose that could have made the book too dated too quickly, though.
There were excellent notes at the end, with bibliographical info. Unfortunately, the notes didn't include page numbers - they only pointed to the chapter and first words of the text they were referring to. Page numbers would have been really useful.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
October 25, 2023
Excellent graphic novel, long listed for the National Book Award and you can see why. What do we know about where our electricity comes from, the water that we use everyday and the Internet that we are all now addicted to? We know just about nothing. Important, educational and enlightening!
May 6, 2023
This is a great idea and pretty well-executed but it’s a shame the author felt compelled to crowbar in his political views.
He’ll get on a roll, then bring things back to colonialism and inequality and use precious real estate to explain obvious realities like “rich countries have better infrastructure than developing countries.”
Illuminating the world’s physical systems is a daunting enough challenge. Layering a political worldview on top of that makes it impossible… and made me feel a bit like the premise/packaging of the book was the “bait” for a political lecture.. the last thing I was looking for.
He’ll get on a roll, then bring things back to colonialism and inequality and use precious real estate to explain obvious realities like “rich countries have better infrastructure than developing countries.”
Illuminating the world’s physical systems is a daunting enough challenge. Layering a political worldview on top of that makes it impossible… and made me feel a bit like the premise/packaging of the book was the “bait” for a political lecture.. the last thing I was looking for.
February 29, 2024
Internet, electricity and water, three things that many (if not most) Americans take for granted. Find out how complex and fragile each of these utilities really are.
If you are looking for informational text for tweens and teens who only want to read graphic novels, this is it.
If you are looking for informational text for tweens and teens who only want to read graphic novels, this is it.
April 21, 2024
Really enjoyed this. Highly recommended. The graphic novel aspect enhanced the nonfiction book which surprised me as I am not a regular reader of graphic novels.
March 31, 2023
This is a good intro to how the systems work in a broad sense, but I would have liked more detail on the topics. This reads more like a story in many ways than I think was useful.
May 8, 2023
Fascinatingly written and at a level that anyone can understand.
March 25, 2023
There is a section in the middle of this book, as part of the longer explanation of electricity systems, where Nott steps back and follows energy from the sun into plants then sheep then people, then sets up a brief one page history of energy generation before the 17th century. It reminded me more than anything of a section in Larry Gonick's "Cartoon History of the Universe", where a shepard suddenly realizes a deeper truth about a previously invisible process and then proceeds to his this knowledge to make the world worse. Nott is a couple generations removed from Gonick's comix-informed skepticism, but I think the works are profoundly complementary. It is hard to tell a history well by only leaving in the crucial connective tissue, and harder still when that history one global in scope.
In "Hidden Systems", Nott pulls off this magic trick three times, from the internet to electricity to water. In each telling, he is thoughtful and careful in putting the function of the systems against its harms, of naming how and where those harms fall, while still leaving readers with a deeper knowledge of the mechanics of everything from undersea cables to microgrids to aqueducts. I read this in one sitting, and imagine I'll revisit it for years if not decades to come, as reference and refresher for thinking plainly about the way invisible things work.
In "Hidden Systems", Nott pulls off this magic trick three times, from the internet to electricity to water. In each telling, he is thoughtful and careful in putting the function of the systems against its harms, of naming how and where those harms fall, while still leaving readers with a deeper knowledge of the mechanics of everything from undersea cables to microgrids to aqueducts. I read this in one sitting, and imagine I'll revisit it for years if not decades to come, as reference and refresher for thinking plainly about the way invisible things work.
March 9, 2024
Wow! This one has knocked my socks off. I will clearly be buying several of this book for Christmas gifts this year and adding a note for friends and family to regift it to their favorite science teacher or student! In the visual style of Randall Munro and David Macaulay, Dan Nott makes Hidden Systems (Internet, electricity, and water) visible to us through a graphic novel approach that keeps the message simple and easy to understand. These systems are GIGANTIC but so hidden from us in our daily lives that we either forget they are there or at least take them for granted.
If I was still teaching, I'd have this in my middle school classroom alongside Munro and Macaulay. This book makes these hidden systems accessible and understandable. Nott gives us a history of the development of each system, brings us to the present day, and presents us with the pros and cons of each of these systems that are so imbedded in our worldwide society. As a teacher, I love that I could point my students to different career paths related to the health, maintenance, and redesigning of these systems in the future.
On a personal note related to the Internet, I grew up in a Bell Labs family (Mother, father, husband and me) and almost had a front row seat to the development of the communication network. So I really loved that section!
On a second personal note - as a 6th grade Science teacher, I created one of my favorite electricity lessons, "There is Still a Fire" that involved having my students diagram and label (similar to Nott) that a fire was still involved somewhere when they flipped a light switch. Of course, from there we also explored, diagrammed, and labeled wind, solar, nuclear, and tidal power sources as well. It is all about the spin!
I hope I conveyed how excited I am about this book! Get yourself a copy and learn about the infrastructure that allows you to live the life you expect to live at the flip of a switch, push of a button, or the turning of a faucet.
If I was still teaching, I'd have this in my middle school classroom alongside Munro and Macaulay. This book makes these hidden systems accessible and understandable. Nott gives us a history of the development of each system, brings us to the present day, and presents us with the pros and cons of each of these systems that are so imbedded in our worldwide society. As a teacher, I love that I could point my students to different career paths related to the health, maintenance, and redesigning of these systems in the future.
On a personal note related to the Internet, I grew up in a Bell Labs family (Mother, father, husband and me) and almost had a front row seat to the development of the communication network. So I really loved that section!
On a second personal note - as a 6th grade Science teacher, I created one of my favorite electricity lessons, "There is Still a Fire" that involved having my students diagram and label (similar to Nott) that a fire was still involved somewhere when they flipped a light switch. Of course, from there we also explored, diagrammed, and labeled wind, solar, nuclear, and tidal power sources as well. It is all about the spin!
I hope I conveyed how excited I am about this book! Get yourself a copy and learn about the infrastructure that allows you to live the life you expect to live at the flip of a switch, push of a button, or the turning of a faucet.
May 9, 2023
this book really fed my inner curiosity. although i knew most of the ‘behind the scenes’ details of these systems (the internet, electricity, and water) from college classes and work, i still appreciated the storytelling and details the author conveyed through a graphic novel. i really enjoy thinking about how things work under the cover, perhaps why i decided to study computers.
this novel reminded me that we often take for granted the things we utilise everyday and often ignore, either intentionally or not, the obvious inequalities and harm they cause to others - people, animals, our planet. for instance, i didn’t know the way fiber optic cables were laid echo routes carved by colonialism. moreover, it’s easy to forget, when caught up in work or personal matters, that there are many people who don’t have access to clean water or electricity or the internet.
this novel is also a reminder that we don’t necessarily have to do things the way they’ve always been done, but we have an opportunity to re-imagine the systems we use everyday. although i wished the author explored more about what we can do in the future, i think this book will inspire young readers (and old ones) to take up this challenge.
this novel reminded me that we often take for granted the things we utilise everyday and often ignore, either intentionally or not, the obvious inequalities and harm they cause to others - people, animals, our planet. for instance, i didn’t know the way fiber optic cables were laid echo routes carved by colonialism. moreover, it’s easy to forget, when caught up in work or personal matters, that there are many people who don’t have access to clean water or electricity or the internet.
this novel is also a reminder that we don’t necessarily have to do things the way they’ve always been done, but we have an opportunity to re-imagine the systems we use everyday. although i wished the author explored more about what we can do in the future, i think this book will inspire young readers (and old ones) to take up this challenge.
September 5, 2023
An interesting illustrated book that look that three things we take for granted: the Internet, electricity and water. It shows the history of how we created the Internet and how we now harness it and electricity and water to power our modern society. But the book doesn't shy away from showing the damaging effects all three have had on parts of society (like the underprivileged and marginalized).
On the internet, the book shows that our desires to use it to gather information and to broadcast our thoughts (yes, I'm aware that this review is part of that desire) lead to huge resource requirements to store and transmit the information.
The discovery and harnessing of electricity, from the initial small groups to the huge modern conglomerates that generate and distribute electricity, have damaged the environment and people whose lands are now gone (flooded by electricity generating dams, for example).
Water has been misused since the beginning as a sewer and even today, much of the fresh water in the world is wasted.
But to close on a brighter note, the book's intent is to reveal just how much of how these things are used in the world are hidden from sight and, as a result, we are not aware of the damage they are doing. But now that we have a better idea of how they are used in the world, it is up to us to make better use of these systems, and the many others 'hidden systems' in the world.
On the internet, the book shows that our desires to use it to gather information and to broadcast our thoughts (yes, I'm aware that this review is part of that desire) lead to huge resource requirements to store and transmit the information.
The discovery and harnessing of electricity, from the initial small groups to the huge modern conglomerates that generate and distribute electricity, have damaged the environment and people whose lands are now gone (flooded by electricity generating dams, for example).
Water has been misused since the beginning as a sewer and even today, much of the fresh water in the world is wasted.
But to close on a brighter note, the book's intent is to reveal just how much of how these things are used in the world are hidden from sight and, as a result, we are not aware of the damage they are doing. But now that we have a better idea of how they are used in the world, it is up to us to make better use of these systems, and the many others 'hidden systems' in the world.
May 16, 2023
fascinating distillation of some of the world's most important ideas, structures, and histories. im obsessed with the art style and im appreciative of the anthropological and indigenous perspectives described. sometimes i felt lost and overwhelmed but with this sort of breadth by nature it's hard to not be. and i'd have liked more discussion of solutions though i get that it's not the author's main goal or expertise.
also i love that learning about these systems makes me feel like a real adult and person <3
(4.5 rounded down)
also i love that learning about these systems makes me feel like a real adult and person <3
(4.5 rounded down)
January 10, 2024
This book is delightful! It uses the panel story format of a graphic novel to convey important information about real topics. The three systems explained in this book are the Internet, electricity, and water. It's a bit dense in places, and if you're not used to learning visually, it can be a little dizzying. But over all, it was great.
Note: this was found in the YA section, but I can't picture a kid younger than (a very sharp) 15 being able to process this content and delivery style. It's totally adult-level explanation, not a kid's book-- grown folks welcome!
Note: this was found in the YA section, but I can't picture a kid younger than (a very sharp) 15 being able to process this content and delivery style. It's totally adult-level explanation, not a kid's book-- grown folks welcome!
March 20, 2023
This book is sooo good! It's a thoroughly researched, very well illustrated guide to the infrastructure around us. It goes over the history of internet, electricity and waterworks, including the science and colonial legacies that shape the unequal world we live in today. It emphasizes the importance of upkeeping the systems we have, as well as reimangining them as we rebuild them into a more sustainable and equitable future. It lays out in clear, easily digestible graphics how all of these systems are global and exist physically in the world around us.
I've always wondered what substations are for, and how information is sent over the internet. I'm a water resource engineer so I knew a bit about the waterworks section, but there was still loads of info in there that was mind blowing and really important for understanding our current relationship with water.
I highly recommend this to everyone who exists in a society.
I've always wondered what substations are for, and how information is sent over the internet. I'm a water resource engineer so I knew a bit about the waterworks section, but there was still loads of info in there that was mind blowing and really important for understanding our current relationship with water.
I highly recommend this to everyone who exists in a society.
August 20, 2023
Takes three pervasive infrastructures and in a simple graphic treatment breaks them down in systematic detail, in historical and social context, and prompts questioning inequities and future reconsiderations of these built systems and their relationships to our global ecological society.
September 17, 2023
2023 National Book Award longlist! "This bold undertaking sets out to explain systems in our daily lives. From internet to electricity to water, our most complex systems and how they affect our environment come under scrutiny." [School Library Journal]
July 17, 2024
A NorthStar YA nominee for 24|25.
This was such an informative graphic novel that beautifully examines the hidden systems within our world. Dan Nott does an amazing job of making these abstract concepts very digestible and in a format that is so easily accessible. A fantastic addition to any school library!
This was such an informative graphic novel that beautifully examines the hidden systems within our world. Dan Nott does an amazing job of making these abstract concepts very digestible and in a format that is so easily accessible. A fantastic addition to any school library!
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January 30, 2023Booklist review pending
January 2, 2024
A compelling introduction to some big ideas about how the world works. Love Nott's emphasis on the interconnectedness of the world. Would love to see this make it into lots of classrooms.
Read
March 10, 2024Wow! So much information!
March 14, 2024
Absolutely brilliant! 💛 Thank you Dan Nott for this wonderful book!
June 21, 2024
Idk how I feel about this book. I am a civil engineer and work with utilities and water distribution on a daily basis. A lot of the issues that the author discussed are not as black and white as he made them appear (I’m specifically talking about water use here). For example, the book jumped straight from “poop in the streets” to “it’s not an issue anymore” without any explanation of what went behind that. I know that I’m probably going into too much detail and expected too much detail, but I was really hoping that methods of cleaning surface water to make it usable would be discussed at least a little.
Also, there are downsides to wind and solar other than just being dependent upon weather. Wind and solar appliances take resources to produce that were totally glazed over while every other energy generation method had significantly more detail.
Last but not least, this book leaned quite one way when it came to politics. I think you already know which direction.
Anywho, it’s overall a decent book, with some things that could use a more rounded view.
Also, there are downsides to wind and solar other than just being dependent upon weather. Wind and solar appliances take resources to produce that were totally glazed over while every other energy generation method had significantly more detail.
Last but not least, this book leaned quite one way when it came to politics. I think you already know which direction.
Anywho, it’s overall a decent book, with some things that could use a more rounded view.
October 8, 2024
Muy recomendable para fans de Ter (la arquitecta conocida por su canal de YouTube).
July 7, 2023
While the general idea of this graphic novel and basic concepts of how our water, electricity, and Internet systems work are not new to me, I gleaned some deeper and still basic knowledge in these areas. It also makes me think of the worst-case dystopic worlds that could be our future. The graphic novel format is really engaging and the art is really fun and good.
May 30, 2024
Water, electricity, and the internet are so familiar that we don't ask ourselves how they work. This book delves into this simple yet engaging topic. The book taught me about the evolution of power grids, types of renewable energy, and technological innovations. I also learned about the principles of data centers and fiber optic cables that enable wireless networks and cybersecurity. This book makes the reader aware of the hidden complexity of convenience that we take for granted. However, there were some parts that I wished the book to explore the systems more in-depth. Anyway, it's a very informative and engaging book.
September 24, 2023
I love being tricked into learning. This book includes science, history, humanity, and optimism. Recommend to everyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews