Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand how things work. The same is true for the companion volume, The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don't Fall through the Floor. When I think about the understanding I got from these books the phrase I come up with is "informed intuition". I first read these books decades ago, and loved them. I bought copies of both here on Amazon as a gift to someone who was considering studying engineering. I really think that if you don't enjoy these, you probably want to go into some other field. (The recipient is not going to study engineering.)

Structures are everywhere, from houses to chairs, from animal bones to aircraft hulls. The author clearly explains with words, pictures, a few key equations, and some amusing examples, the common relationships in all of them. The book is full of architectural examples over the last few thousand years, contrasts between different animals, and a bit of engineering humor. It works on multiple levels. You could read it as a casual history of ideas, an interesting set of disconnected examples, or as a serious mathematical exposition. I liked best that it shows how the different perspectives all connect to each other.

Bought this to learn more about the engineering behind buildings and structures.What I like • The book breaks down complex engineering concepts in a simple and entertaining way. • Engaging examples and clear illustrations help visualize how structures work. • Provides a deeper understanding of the science behind everyday buildings and objects.What could be better • Some sections may feel a bit too simplified for readers with a technical background. • Could benefit from more in-depth case studies of real-world structures. • The pacing may slow down in certain areas for readers seeking a quicker overview.Bottom line: A great read for anyone curious about how structures stand the test of time, but may not offer enough depth for those with engineering expertise. Perfect for beginners and general readers, but look for more technical resources if you’re seeking advanced knowledge.

Structures: Or why things don’t fall downA very interesting book, covering a wide field of topics, from the ground up you might say.Basic concepts of forces are addressed. Compression, tension, shear and torsion forces, and their occurrence in everything from bridges, ancient coliseums, trees, boats and human biology. This, the author does very well; constantly interweaving the effects of various types of strains and stresses and fractures as they occur in wood construction and metal beams, as well as human skeletons and arteries.Reasons for, and types of failure are described for wood, concrete, boat sails, steel, femurs and aortas. Advantageous shapes of design for handling wind and accepting impacts are given, and reasons for spoke wheels. Critical and safe limits of fatigue and fracture are described…historical cases are offered, describing why early aero planes crashed and bridges fell down, and why boats capsize.Cautions are pointed out. Over design of repair: The repair must work in harmony with the repaired material, and not be so unyielding that it works against it. So many invisible forces of tension and compression are at play, and violation of acceptable limits must be watched for when they manifest in fractures.Different approaches to bridge trusses are explained, not so much mathematically, but in concepts of load bearing and the transference of force throughout the truss. By way of example, Bowstring bridges seem quite clever in design, where the internal force of the arch pulls the roadway below it taught so that the whole thing is held in equilibrium like a bow and arrow on a giant scale.The all important “thrust line” is a constant theme from chapter to chapter. Now I know why those old cathedrals have so many spires and spooky statues way up there, and it’s not for warding off evil spirits, it’s because they’re heavy.There are photographs, all clumped together in the middle of the book. Black and white, kind of blurry, but still a helpful aid. Very nice drawings, not blurry, and graphs are abundant in all chapters to help visualize the topics being discussed.These and many more topics and application fill this book, none of it came across as boring or dry.Beyond the final chapter, a few concepts are given a light mathematical treatment. Moments in I-beams, deflections in cantilevers and so forth.The pages are made of sturdy heavy paper, the printing is nice size and clear for those who require reading glasses, with ample space around the print for making marginal notes.

I read "The New Science of Strong Materials" and this book before my Solid Mechanics/Mechanics of Materials class. Fantastic primer that attempts to give you a good feeling for the behaviour of beams and members. There is almost no math or any attempt to show how to calculate anything which makes it very approachable. Great intro to the subject, especially for the layman, but not comprehensive by any means. Definitely would not replace a course on the subject.

If you are curious about things around you this book is for you. It's a classic from a highly respected author in the engineering field. However, the beauty of Gordon's presentation of the mechanics behind structures is that the book draws on examples in biology (bones, muscles, and plants), airframes, and sailing vessels as well as buildings and other physical infrastructure. Despite being a naturally curious individual, there were a lot of "Ohhhhhhh...." moments for me. For example, linking the cut of women's dresses with sails. How trees grow in such a way as to put their trunks under compression and tension at the same time. And why the steel skeletons of skyscapers use "H" shaped beams. At the same time, math is kept to a minimum. Made me want to change my career toward engineering!

El libro llegó maltratado, con una esquina raída.