Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down

by J.E. Gordon

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.

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.

Genres: Science, Engineering, Nonfiction, Architecture, Physics, Design, Technology

395 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

James Edward Gordon (UK, 1913–1998) was one of the founders of materials science and biomechanics, and a well-known author of three books on structures and materials, which have been translated in many languages and are still widely used in schools and universities.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Claudio]

Volevo leggere da tempo questo classico, e finalmente ho trovato questa edizione in italiano. Come ingegnere strutturista, si tratta in qualche modo di materia per me conosciuta. Ma il libro, come mi aspettavo, è gradevole ed originale, oltre ad essere scritto con un caratteristico humour inglese (che perde un po' sicuramente nella traduzione). Il capitolo finale, dove l'autore inizia un po' a filosofeggiare, l'ho trovato meno interessante, ma questa è probabilmente deformazione professionale.
Letto come libro in italiano.