The Origins of Efficiency

“Brilliant and comprehensive. Brian Potter is the single best writer in America on how important things get built, and his new book is the single best example of his work.”—Derek Thompson, author of Hit Makers and coauthor of Abundance“This is unlike any other book I’ve read. It is a very high-level whole-systems overview of all known manufacturing processes (past and present), crammed with dense details, stories, anecdotes, and lessons from the front lines. Its grand/minute perspective is unusual—especially for production processes we usually never see. If you have any interest in, or responsibility for, how to make stuff at scale, you need to read this book.”—Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired“Brian Potter does impeccable, detailed research that he turns into clairvoyant insight about civilization’s most arcane processes. Here, he examines the mechanisms that enable spectacular efficiency in the production of goods and services. They comprise, he notes, ‘the engine that powers human civilization.’” —Stewart Brand, cofounder and president of The Long Now Foundation and creator and editor of the Whole Earth Catalog“America has forgotten how to make things. Brian Potter is here to help us remember. By the time you finish this book, you’ll feel like you’re well on your way to becoming an expert in manufacturing.”—Noah Smith, author of Noahpinion

Brian Potter is the author of the Construction Physics newsletter and a senior infrastructure fellow at the Institute for Progress. He writes about the technology and economics of building construction, with a focus on improving productivity and reducing costs. He previously managed an engineering team at Katerra, a SoftBank-backed construction startup, and has 15 years of experience as a structural engineer. He holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s in systems engineering from the University of Central Florida.