Paperboy

Praise

"Petroski writes . . . with the observant eye of an engineer and the imaginative heart of a novelist." –Los Angeles Times

"A fond but clear-eyed glance back at what it was like growing up middle-class and upwardly striving in 1950s New York." –The New York Times Book Review

"[Petroski] once again discovers mystery and magnificence in the mundane. . . . By the end, we’re convinced that no metaphor for life is more apt than a paper route." –Kirkus Reviews

"[A] pleasant trip though an America that has faded into history, with a tour guide who shares with us both the eyes of a young boy and the wisdom of a grown man." –Civil Engineering

"Petroski . . . can see the poetry in a bicycle." –The New York Sun

"Petroski not only can put science in laymen’s terms, but also can do so without killing its magic." –The Christian Science Monitor

"Petroski . . . asks us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary." –Chicago Tribune

"Petroski . . . offers a charming account of adolescence in a much different era." –Booklist

"[Petroski is] the poet laureate of engineering." –Rocky Mount Telegram

"The book is a joy to read for anyone who enjoys a good story, not just working on a challenging project." –CE News