Almost three tons of concrete are produced each year for every person on the planet; only water is consumed more per head of population Now used almost universally in modern construction concrete polarizes opinion provoking intense loathing & fervent passion in others Concrete & Culture breaks new ground by charting concrete's effects on culture since its reinvention in the modern period examining the ways it has changed our understanding of nature of time & of materiality This book discusses architects' responses to & uses of concrete while also taking into account the role it has played in politics literature cinema & labour relations as well as in present day arguments about sustainability