Grady Hillhouse author page

Grady Hillhouse biography

Grady Hillhouse is an American civil engineer, author and science communicator. He is the creator of Practical Engineering, an educational YouTube channel that explains civil engineering, infrastructure and the built environment through demonstrations, working models and technical explanations.

Hillhouse holds degrees from Texas State University and Texas A&M University. Before working in science communication full time, he spent nearly ten years as an engineering consultant, specialising in dams, hydraulic structures and riverbank restoration projects. His educational videos have also been featured on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel.

His first book, Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment, was published by No Starch Press in November 2022, with illustrations and cover design by MUTI. The book explains the engineering behind everyday infrastructure, including electricity networks, roads, bridges, tunnels, railways and waterways. Organised as an illustrated field guide, it helps readers identify and understand structures and equipment commonly encountered in towns, cities and the countryside.

Hillhouse’s approach to explaining engineering combines technical knowledge with practical examples. His Practical Engineering videos use physical models and experiments to demonstrate concepts involving water, electricity, construction materials and structural design.

His second book, Disasters by Design: How Engineering Failures Shaped the Modern World, examines major engineering disasters and the lessons they have provided for modern infrastructure design. It is scheduled for publication by Riverhead Books in the United States in March 2027, with a UK edition from Penguin.