Building 18 addresses the impact on personal lives and the day-to-day activities of a team of aerospace engineers working in a Reagan-era secret aerospace facility. The book is titled Building 18 after the facility's nondescript name.

It's the waning years of the Cold War. An advanced aerospace project is kicking off in a nondescript gray building in the inner neighborhood of a New England city. The windowless structure stands among abandoned buildings, the full parking lot being the only indicator of activity. A small group of engineers deals with technical issues and personal problems in a mix of technology, strip clubs, and drinking.

The time frame is the 1980s. It follows an engineering team's interactions both within and outside of work. The story portrays the team's hardships, turmoil, evolving friendships, and successes. Actual events are the basis of the story. The book accurately portrays, with toned down language, the goings-on as it follows the group of friends.