"Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet," by Andrew Blum

Jeff Glor talks to Andrew Blum about "Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet."

Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?

Andrew Blum: A few years ago, I was writing mostly for Wired Magazine about infrastructure of all kinds--planes, trains, automobiles, skyscrapers, things like that. But it didn't occur to me that the Internet itself had an infrastructure--or really any physical reality--until the cold day in 2009 when my home Internet connection broke. The repair guy thought the problem might be a squirrel chewing through the wire. I was like, huh?! What wire? And if there was really a wire, where did it go? What was that place like? Who worked there? It was like finding a hidden world in the back of the closet. That was when I decided to visit the Internet.

JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process?

AB: I never got over how small the Internet was. I suppose that sounds like a strange to say-- from this side of the screen, the Internet appears to be an infinite expanse. But as I got deeper into my research, the same handful of places kept coming up, run by a relatively intimate group of network engineers. I've received emails from a couple of them recently, saying that the book was full of old friends. They're the wizards behind the curtain.

JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?

AB: Probably teaching high school English, which I did briefly, and loved. But I've also always been fascinated by real estate developers, especially in New York. I like about writing about places--like the Internet--but I think it would also be interesting to build them.

JG: What else are you reading right now?

AB: Peter Bergen's "Manhunt" -- an incredible feat of reporting. Lauren Groff's novel "Arcadia." Gideon Lewis-Kraus's memoir, "A Sense of Direction."

JG: What's next for you?

AB: Another book. I'm looking for strange new worlds. Seen any?

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For more on "Tubes" visit the Harper Collins website.