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...

"Based on common, everyday phenomena, the principles governing the balance of forces on machines and structures are extremely straightforward. Their expression in mathematical form, however, obscures their clarity. This volume exposes the principles of statics in their original simplicity, presenting them as an exercise in logic. The modern analytical method of reasoning is carefully preserved to assist students in their grasp of the thinking that...

Take an eye-popping look at some of the greatest structures and machines ever created. Get inside these superstructures and uncover the cogs, gears, bells, and whistles that make them work.