Praise for Too Big to Fall

“Unfortunately, infrastructure is not like fine wine. It does not improve with age. As LePatner points out, we do not save money by deferring maintenance…LePatner’s book should sound the alarm for anyone—in and out of government—who uses and values our national transportation assets.”
—Hon. James L. Oberstar, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

“LePatner touches on many subjects tangential to construction, but fixing the construction industry is the main focus of his book. LePatner feels if the construction industry is improved, cost of buildings will drop significantly, benefitting everyone related to construction.” Read more...
—Lee Poechmann, Owner’s Toolbox

“In Too Big to Fall, LePatner explains that to understand the severity of the situation, one has to acknowledge that our nation’s infrastructure system is not simply a bridge here or a highway system over there. It is a network of networks. And if one aspect of the system suffers, so do all the rest. He hammers home the stark reality that there are security, safety, and economic implications every time a piece of the system fails…LePatner recognizes the critical importance of providing the public with an understanding of the larger connections between the transportation and economic imperatives. He focuses attention on problems that will significantly impact our nation’s ability to protect its citizens as well as to grow and prosper in a dynamically changing world economy…Too Big to Fall belongs on the desk of every transportation official, governor, and member of Congress who wants to work productively toward finding solutions rather than continuing to add to the problems plaguing our nation’s infrastructure.”
—Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution

“Too Big to Fall is too important not to be read by elected and government officials and anyone who cares about the health of our cities, states, and country. LePatner, by concentrating on a major element of public works—our country’s 600,000 bridges, brings into focus the causes and solutions that, if followed, in the long run would actually cost less and expose us to less risk. The release of this book could not be more timely. Thousands of local and state officials are facing record deficits. The easiest areas to cut are the nearly invisible activities of preventive maintenance. No large constituencies will be marching on city halls or statehouses to clamor to save the jobs of bridge painters or oilers. But now at least government public works managers and citizens have the source to educate elected officials and their bean counters in the penny-wise-pound-foolish choice of cutting maintenance now, only to face bigger costs and higher risks in just a few years. I was in charge of New York City’s bridges after the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. On my watch in the 1980s, we had fatal collapses on the Brooklyn Bridge and the elevated FDR drive, as well as emergency closures of more than a score of other bridges. LePatner offers us a better choice.”
—Sam Schwartz, Sam Schwartz Engineering

“Barry LePatner has emerged as one of the nation’s leading advocates for infrastructure reform. Too Big to Fall provides a thought-provoking examination of America’s infrastructure dilemma. It is eye-opening and sobering. Hopefully this work will resonate with those in authority to heighten their sense of urgency to aggressively address this threat to our nation’s future.”
—Gary LaPoint, Syracuse University

“This book needs to be read by all those concerned about our transportation infrastructure, but especially those who are starting to realize that business as usual, with Uncle Sugar providing massive doses of feel-good funding, is over. The time for optimizing long-term transportation funding has begun, providing beleaguered taxpayers with much-deserved relief and achieving better results, supported by innovative technologies and enhanced business methods.”
—Peter J. Vanderzee, President and CEO, LifeSpan Technologies

“Barry LePatner makes an airtight case in Too Big to Fall that our nation’s road infrastructure is becoming a liability, a drag on our productivity rather than an asset. His heavily researched book aptly warns us that if our nation’s infrastructure continues to fail, so too does America. With China’s rise, this book sends a timely warning of our need to compete with the East. LePatner’s ultimate optimism and professional experiences lead us to a solution that we need to take to heart.”
—Dan McNichol, Bestselling Author of The Big Dig, The Roads That Built America, and Asphalt in America; Columnist for Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure