The Builders: Marvels of Engineering

by Elizabeth L. Newhouse

This fascinating book chronicles some of the world's greatest engineering wonders from ancient times to the present -- the longest bridges, the highest dams, the tallest buildings, the grandest cathedrals. Learn how ancient Romans built a highway network that rivals the U.S. interstate system. Explore the world's most ambitious man-made landmarks from the Great Pyramids and St. Peter's Basilica to the Golden Gate Bridge and the English "Chunnel." Six chapters describe engineering feats, highlight the technological break-throughs, and introduce the builders who made them possible. The Builders celebrates how humankind harnessed nature's power, overcame its challenges, and constructed monuments to our society.

Genres: Architecture, Reference, Engineering, Nonfiction, Science, History, Design

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an inspiring book documenting some of the worlds most ambitious building projects.
It really makes you appreciate all of the effort that it takes to build great works... from bridges to pyramids.

This is the perfect book for anyone thinking of becoming an engineer or architect

[Julie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dated, though that's to be expected from a book that was published almost 30 years ago, but it was still very interesting.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compendium of engineering achievements from all ages past to present. Organized into chapters based upon the type of engineering challenge that humans have overcome it includes sections titles "overcoming Distance", "Public spaces", "Harnessing Nature's Power" and others. The graphics are beautiful as you would expect from a National Geographic Society production and include explanatory charts as well as photographs of some of the most amazing structures throughout the world. The book is a delight to read, to browse through and to meditate on the great achievements of the minds of men throughout the ages.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This makes for a good coffee table book but is unfortunately very out of date by the time of my reading.