Rating: 
Summary: Get it before you go, take it with you
Review: Great book that goes way beyond the standard guide book fare. It inspired me to make the trip after reading it, to see first hand how the ancient Inca Empire created a complete fortified city in the sky, to trace the old Inca trails by the watchtower, the drawbrige and into the main gate with the view of city and the peak beyond. Other travel books have beautiful pictures and "where to eat and where to stay" for this citadel but very little information on how the city itself came into being and survived. City maps and commentary in the book are far better than you can get on-site. Don't leave home without it. Even if you are just an armchair traveler you will be amazed with the accomplishments of the Inca Empire.
Rating:
Summary: Get it before you go, take it with you
Review: Great book that goes way beyond the standard guide book fare. It inspired me to make the trip after reading it, to see first hand how the ancient Inca Empire created a complete fortified city in the sky, to trace the old Inca trails by the watchtower, the drawbrige and into the main gate with the view of city and the peak beyond. Other travel books have beautiful pictures and "where to eat and where to stay" for this citadel but very little information on how the city itself came into being and survived. City maps and commentary in the book are far better than you can get on-site. Don't leave home without it. Even if you are just an armchair traveler you will be amazed with the accomplishments of the Inca Empire.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Engineers
Review: I expected a civil engineering perspective on one of my favorite subjects, Machu Picchu, to be at least a little dry. Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel is anything but. The book melds technical information on a compelling topic with observations, insights and scads of breathtaking photographs. The result is a technically substantial engineering survey presented as a coffee-table book. I have read a lot of materials on Machu Picchu, yet I can't remember the last time I encountered so much new information in one place. The book explores such engineering facets of Machu Picchu as planning, hydrology, hydraulics, drainage, agriculture and construction, and demonstrates why these things are significant and interesting. Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel breathes extra life into this basic information by providing context, analysis, archaeological perspective and even a walking guide for touring the site. Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel has application, understandability and appeal for such diverse individuals as anthropologists, archaeologists, travelers, scenery-lovers and historians, as well as engineers. Machu Picchu buffs like myself will certainly enjoy the book's refreshing, new angle.
Rating:
Summary: A Landmark Study!
Review: Machu Picchu, A Civil Engineering Marvel is an extraordinary accomplishment. It is not merely a travel book or ruins guide. It is the result of at least five years of study, exploration and detailed mapping by a competent civil engineer and actually is a tremendous contribution to serious archaeology on the history and accomplishments of the Peruvian Inca empire. Mr. Wright, a water engineering specialist, worked with close cooperation with a government archaeological expert from Peru headquarters. His particular specialized interest was the drinking and waste disposal system for the people who inhabitated the site, which is called a "palace" but is actually much more than that. He also detailed the construction of the agricultural terraces. It is a scholastic textbook of the first rank.
Rating:
Summary: A Landmark Study!
Review: Machu Picchu, A Civil Engineering Marvel is an extraordinary accomplishment. It is not merely a travel book or ruins guide. It is the result of at least five years of study, exploration and detailed mapping by a competent civil engineer and actually is a tremendous contribution to serious archaeology on the history and accomplishments of the Peruvian Inca empire. Mr. Wright, a water engineering specialist, worked with close cooperation with a government archaeological expert from Peru headquarters. His particular specialized interest was the drinking and waste disposal system for the people who inhabitated the site, which is called a "palace" but is actually much more than that. He also detailed the construction of the agricultural terraces. It is a scholastic textbook of the first rank.
Rating:
Summary: A New Discovery
Review: Machu Picchu, A Civil Engineering Marvel takes the reader on a journey that reveals many aspects of the Inca culture that have been previously unknown. Questions as to how the city of Machu Picchu existed, the size of its population and insight into the Inca's understanding of engineering are all revealed in this carefully written and thoroughly researched text. The book reveals its story by focusing on the Inca water supply system that continues to flow to this day. This discussion provides an informative and enjoyable reading experience, created by the unique alliance of a civil engineer and leading Inca archeologist.
Rating:
Summary: A New Discovery
Review: Machu Picchu, A Civil Engineering Marvel takes the reader on a journey that reveals many aspects of the Inca culture that have been previously unknown. Questions as to how the city of Machu Picchu existed, the size of its population and insight into the Inca's understanding of engineering are all revealed in this carefully written and thoroughly researched text. The book reveals its story by focusing on the Inca water supply system that continues to flow to this day. This discussion provides an informative and enjoyable reading experience, created by the unique alliance of a civil engineer and leading Inca archeologist.
Rating:
Summary: Zen and the Art of Machu Picchu
Review: Never has form met function in such an exalted fashion. I speak of both the Inca site in Peru and of this book: with maps, drawings, photographs and clear brief text, this volume does justice to the fifteenth-century engineering feat. The architectural stonework of Machu Micchu has amazed for years; only now is it explained by its purpose, described lucidly here in terms of water engineering in particular. Yet the presentation of both book and place are pure art. For those interested in gazing on profoundly satisfying artforms, this book is a must.
Rating:
Summary: Wonder and Mystery
Review: Ruins left by ancient civilizations frequently excite the wonder and admiration of modern-day readers. The "lost city" of Machu Picchu is certainly no exception; but the appeal of this book is unlike its predecessors in that the wonder and mystery of the site are conveyed, not solely by hyperbole or romantic generality, but primarily by hard, objective engineering analysis. Even more wondrous is the authors' achievement in presenting these "hard facts" in a language which is equally intelligible and appealing to engineers and to the general reader. In short, this book makes clear to all that the planning and construction of a city are activities which transcend quantitative analysis and mathematical formulas. The copious and well-chosen illustrations contribute much toward inspiring a respect on the part of us sophisticated moderns for the accomplishments of "primitive" cultures, unlettered as they may have been.
Rating:
Summary: Wonder and Mystery
Review: Ruins left by ancient civilizations frequently excite the wonder and admiration of modern-day readers. The "lost city" of Machu Picchu is certainly no exception; but the appeal of this book is unlike its predecessors in that the wonder and mystery of the site are conveyed, not solely by hyperbole or romantic generality, but primarily by hard, objective engineering analysis. Even more wondrous is the authors' achievement in presenting these "hard facts" in a language which is equally intelligible and appealing to engineers and to the general reader. In short, this book makes clear to all that the planning and construction of a city are activities which transcend quantitative analysis and mathematical formulas. The copious and well-chosen illustrations contribute much toward inspiring a respect on the part of us sophisticated moderns for the accomplishments of "primitive" cultures, unlettered as they may have been.
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