Rust: The Longest War

"Rust"? Who knew? This was fascinating - all the way through.

Hard to know exactly where to start here. Waldman has put together a book on a topic that, on the face of it and judging by the title, one might have a struggle finding a less interesting subject - rust? Really? Kind of like watching cement set. Not so. Waldman has a gift for doing what all very good writers can do - he takes a topic about which I imagine few of us know in any detail whatsover, beyond "it's time to get a new car, the body is starting to rust out", and peels back the (considerable) onion on not only rust, but the entire process and impact of corrosion in general - or, as one might say, a huge wing of entropy. For those of us who love the exposition of the details of processes we've spent little or no time considering, this is great. The Statue of Liberty, bridges, pipelines, buildings....they're all going to hell. And that process starts from the moment that the materials roll off the manufacturing line - everything's on the clock. That 100-story skyscraper? That's going to go, whether we like it or not. Those bridges? Gone. How? How is this possible? The world is a tough place. Waldman gets into the details on the constant war against corrosion, and there is considerable science and fascination behind all of it. While I imagine this sort of writing is especially interesting to those who have a desire to understand how everything works, I also know that it will pull in those who have no connection to engineering, or similar disciplines. Here's a touch point: if you like John McPhee, you're going to like this book. Waldman's style lends a bit of gonzo journalism to this chase - he's The Man On The Scene, and parenthetically adds asides that make you smile or laugh. Part of the humor taken from his various interviews and encounters may have to do with the individuals and corporations in question wondering: why are you interested in this subject, since so few are? Which, by the way, seems to be the presiding problem overall. It takes a visionary on t...