Maintenance of Everything: Part One (Maintenance: Of Everything Book 1)

The first volume in a multi-part exploration of maintenance and its importance to civilization, from Stewart Brand, author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance sustains everything—from life itself to the systems we depend on daily. Yet it is easily postponed until failure occurs. This paradox—that maintenance is both absolutely necessary and optional—forms the book's central concern. Part One provides a comprehensive overview of maintenance's civilizational role. It opens with the 1968 Golden Globe around-the-world solo sailboat race, examining competing maintenance approaches under life-critical conditions. The book then explores vehicle maintenance across motorcycles, automotive industry philosophies, and electric vehicle manufacturing. It includes discussions of manufacturing precision, technical manuals, military sustainment practices, and corrosion prevention. The work redefines maintenance beyond routine preventative tasks to encompass the entire process of keeping something functional. It examines how maintenance affects daily life and argues that taking responsibility for maintaining objects—whether motorcycles, monuments, or the planet—represents a significant commitment.