J. E. Gordon (1) (1913–1998)

Very interesting book, I learned a lot. Gordon's prose is readable. He is also opinionated and throws in just the right number of anecdotes. I read this book while also watching the "Great Courses" class, "Understanding the World's Greatest Structures," by Stephen Ressler, and think those lectures covered a lot of the same material but with more compelling examples, buildings and bridges.

This book is a model for how to write a hugely entertaining and interesting book on a seemingly mundane topic: Why don't we fall through the floor? This is how science should work: Ask questions about things we take for granted and see if we really know the answer. A must read for anybody interested in engineering and architecture, but also a must read for any aspiring science writer. These days a lot of publishers think science writing has to be about something obviously spectacular (black show more holes, strings...) to be exciting. Gordon shows that good writing can make any topic hugely interesting - even more so as this is actually relevant to our daily lives. show less

Стигнах някъде до 20% и се отказах - книгата страхотно описва историята, практиката и математиката на инженерните достижения, свързани с качествата на сгради и съоръжения, но в мен няма грам инженерна и математическа жилка така че се отказах със съжаление.

Finally finished this after an abortive start a few years ago (the original ebook produced chapters in a totally random order). It's an interesting and fairly accessible look at how structures and materials work. My basic scientific background definitely helped, but the book is full of diagrams and examples - and it helpfully emphasises that the equations can be skipped.

That being said, it was originally published in 1978, the author flourished in the 1940s, and that does show up both in the show more examples used and in the odd, dated way he talks about women in a few places (nothing pervy, not complaining women can't be engineers or anything - just odd). Presumably it's been updated somewhat for the 1991 edition, but that's still 30 years of social progress. There's probably a better equivalent out there nowadays. show less