Books: Reviews

This book is so much more than just about urban planning: it should be essential reading for all councillors and council officers involved in the planning processes.

I recently found myself in a core team of local activists trying to amend a major development in London’s suburbs because the process appeared to be loaded in favour of the developer, which seemed to have infatuated the council with its vision. In this book, the author takes the reader on a journey that includes how and why this might have happened.

The book is a travel guide, reference and a history book. It is also a protest and a warning on how the built environment is being manipulated – which struck a chord with my recent experience. So, not only is this essential reading for the establishment, it is also a great read for any group actively facing an unacceptable development and anyone with an interest in the built environment.

This guide is an informative text, providing the reader with an insight into the multiple forms of contracts currently in use in the building sector and their respective positives and negatives. It then argues for a wider uptake of the NEC4 forms of contract over traditional Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) and International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fidic) contracts.

The book is an excellent place to start for anyone wanting to understand the nuances of each form. It also provides effective examples of how the mechanisms of NEC4 can mitigate common issues on site through practical examples.

Overall, this is a working text and a great companion to any project manager, engineer or designer who needs support in the transition to NEC4 contracts in the building sector, including using the suite for the first time.

This latest edition is a comprehensive and much updated textbook, giving practical examples and self-learning exercises to enhance and consolidate knowledge.

It provides in-depth up-to-date information for professionals who wish to keep abreast of the management issues that have evolved since their time at university. It is also a great source of information for those involved in academia, whether as undergraduate, in further research or lecturing.

I found the book structured with well-defined sections and information easy to locate. A minor disappointment was the lack of coloured diagrams which would have made some information easier to assimilate. Perhaps this can be included in the next edition which, with the fast pace that construction management is evolving, should not be too far in the future.

This self-published book follows the life and works of Robert Rawlinson (1810–1898). He became, according to the author, the, ‘acknowledged leader of the revolution in public health engineering and transformed the lives, and particularly the life expectancy, of English people.’

It is a bold claim to anyone without prior knowledge of Rawlinson but, after reading this book, I believe it is entirely valid. The author gives extraordinary insight into the trials and tribulations of the time and the major contributions Rawlinson made to improvements in sanitary conditions and public health engineering, not without much opposition and mockery.

It is an engaging and informative read, extremely well written and a must for those with an interest in public health, engineering or even history.

The ICE Library maintains one of the most comprehensive collections of civil engineering books in the world, including all titles from ICE Publishing (shown in bold below). New books acquired in the past 3 months include the following (* indicates e-book only).

All books can be borrowed through the library’s online catalogue at www.ice.org.uk/knowledge-and-resources/ice-library or from the ICE Members’ Resource Hub at 1 Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA – Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (subject to Covid-19 restrictions), Library@ice.org.uk.

Recent ICE Publishing titles can also be purchased from the ICE Members’ Resource Hub or ordered online https://www.icebookshop.com/