J.E. Gordon
Paperback | Pages: 395 pages Rating: 4.13 | 2006 Users | 144 Reviews
Point Of Books Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
| Title | : | Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down |
| Author | : | J.E. Gordon |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 395 pages |
| Published | : | July 10th 2003 by Da Capo Press (first published 1978) |
| Categories | : | Science. Nonfiction. Engineering. Architecture. Physics |
Description Toward Books Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
In a book that Business Insider noted as one of the "14 Books that inspired Elon Musk," J.E. Gordon strips engineering of its confusing technical terms, communicating its founding principles in accessible, witty prose.For anyone who has ever wondered why suspension bridges don't collapse under eight lanes of traffic, how dams hold back--or give way under--thousands of gallons of water, or what principles guide the design of a skyscraper, a bias-cut dress, or a kangaroo, this book will ease your anxiety and answer your questions.
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down is an informal explanation of the basic forces that hold together the ordinary and essential things of this world--from buildings and bodies to flying aircraft and eggshells. In a style that combines wit, a masterful command of his subject, and an encyclopedic range of reference, Gordon includes such chapters as "How to Design a Worm" and "The Advantage of Being a Beam," offering humorous insights in human and natural creation.
Architects and engineers will appreciate the clear and cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression. If you're building a house, a sailboat, or a catapult, here is a handy tool for understanding the mechanics of joinery, floors, ceilings, hulls, masts--or flying buttresses.
Without jargon or oversimplification, Structures opens up the marvels of technology to anyone interested in the foundations of our everyday lives.
Mention Books Supposing Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
| Original Title: | Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down |
| ISBN: | 0306812835 (ISBN13: 9780306812835) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Of Books Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
Ratings: 4.13 From 2006 Users | 144 ReviewsWrite-Up Of Books Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
What a great layman introduction into the science of materials!The book contains a lot of interesting insights into why certain materials behave in a certain manner under different circumstances. Why does the sausage burst lenghtwise when overcooked? What type of bow is the most efficient?I appreciated the last few pages dedicated to design and its importance in today's increasingly more technical and perhaps dry/dreary world.!!! J.E. Gordon makes everything sooo interesting
It's a long book full of math and explanations but an eye opener on buildings and structures and what keeps them up from falling down. After reading this book I think I will never look at any man made structure with the same eyes as before. The book has exposed me to concepts such as strain, loads, pressure, cracks, materials etc. and it is enlightening for a non-engineering person such as myself. My education has been in business, economics and psychology. In college I had the usual
Consistently illuminating - I read this book with the intention of seeing how learning about physical/engineering structures would translate/resonate for Organisational Development.And it does. Gordon doesn't see a 'clear distinction between material and structure', for example - which I think is a really interesting insight.It's fun, there's lots of interestingly powerful new words to learn, and, although it's very engineer-ish, I managed to grok most of it.
Physics from a different point of view. Interesting, although the social commentary in this day and age made me cringe.
A pithy, often humorous, and informative introduction to structural engineering concepts. Gordon is a rather "old school" engineer, and British to boot, and I enjoyed his tone being pretty much exactly what you would expect from that pedigree. The book ranks near to Colinvaux's "Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare" (not only in the relentlessly precise title) in how much I learned per chapter, although the other book is a bit leaner, in a good way.The other commonality with Colinvaux's book is that
A very nice introduction to material science that is a joy to read. It finds a nice balance between keeping it light for the casual reader but not shying away from the underlying math. In fact, you can get a perfectly good intuition for the subject from this book even if you ignored the math altogether; all the major points are illustrated very well by examples and illustrations. But the math is there for those who find it helps.The only parts I did not enjoy were the last two chapters, in which
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