Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down: Amazon.co.uk: J.E. Gordon: Books

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Paperback, 2 Oct 1979

Product details

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Pitman; New e. edition (2 Oct 1979)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0273014587
ISBN-13: 978-0273014584

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,662,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

}For anyone who has ever wondered why suspension bridges dont collapse under eight lanes of traffic, how dams hold backor give way underthousands of gallons of water, or what principles guide the design of a skyscraper, a nightgown, or a kangaroo, this book will ease your anxiety and answer your questions. Structures: Or Why Things Dont Fall Down is an informal explanation of the basic forces that hold together the ordinary and essential things of this worldfrom 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, J. E. Gordon strips engineering of its technical mathematics and communicates the theory behind the structures of a wide variety of materials.Chapters on How to Design a Worm and The Advantage of Being a Beam offer humorous insights into human and natural creation. For architects and engineers there are cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression, and chapters on safety design and the relationship of efficiency to aesthetics. If you are building a house, a sailboat, or a catapult, here is a handy tool for understanding the mechanics of joinery, floors, ceilings, hulls, mastsor flying buttresses. Without jargon or over-simplification, Structures surveys the nature of materials and gives sophisticated answers to the most naive questions, opening up the marvels of technology to anyone interested in the foundations of our everyday lives. } --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

James Edward Gordon was born in 1913. He took a degree in naval architecture at Glasgow University and worked in wood and steel shipyards, intending to design sailing ships. On the outbreak of the Second World War he moved to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, where he worked on wooden aircraft, plastics and unorthodox materials of all kinds. He designed the sailing rescue dinghies carried at one time by most bomber aircraft. He later became head of the plastic structures sections at Farnborough and developed a method of construction in reinforced plastics which is now used for a number of purpose in aircraft and rockets.

For several frustrating years he worked in industry on the strength of glass and the growth of strong 'whisker' crystals. In 1962 he returned to government service as superintendent of an experimental branch at Waltham Abbey concerned with research and development of entirely new structural materials, most of which were based on 'whiskers'. He was Industrial Fellow Commoner at Churchill College, Cambridge, and became Professor of Materials Technology at the University of Reading, where he was later Professor Emeritus. He was awarded the British Silver Medal of the Royal Aeronautical Society for work on aircraft plastics and also the Griffith Medal of the Materials Science Club for contributions to material science. His book, Structures or Why Things Don't Fall Down, is also published in Penguin.

Professor Gordon died in 1998. In its obituary The Times wrote of him that he was 'one of the founders of materials science' and that he wrote 'two books of outstanding literary quality ... at once entertaining and informative, providing absorbing interest for both expert and student'.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful

Very readable book on everyday engineering structures 10 Mar 2000

By bobby spray

Format:Paperback

I am a mechanical engineer and during my undergraduate years I was crying out for a book like this. It's easy to read and anyone with even the most basic concept of structures will find it very informative. The author explains why structures are built the way they are and points to the lessons that can be learned from nature. Structures enhanced my appreciation of architecture and has even tauhgt me a few new concepts. I would think it's almost essential for any structural engineer to have a copy. A very enjoyable light read.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Structures 14 July 2002

By Matthew Fox

Format:Paperback

The book is a good introduction to engineering of any sort particuly civil or structural. It would be beneficial to anyone about to take A level physics and beyond. It pulls together losts of laws by famous scientists and presents it in different but interesting ways. The language is sometimes quite technical but is easy to understand with some previous knowledge in the subject and or after a few chapters of the book. an enjoyable read intersting read

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding 2 Sep 2009

By S. Genochio

Format:Paperback

This is a perfect example of the most rarest of all things: a technical book that is an utter joy to read.

I have no engineering, maths or physics beyond GCSEs, and was concerned that the book would quickly go over my head. However, Gordon writes with a clarity and simplicity that makes the material accessible. He discusses the main concepts in structural engineering, and gives hundreds of examples, from plants to skeletons to boats to planes and buildings. Occasionally I got lost by the formulas or discussions of maths , but not only was that very rarely, it was also down to my own ignorance.

The real joy of this book is Gordon himself: his personality comes across wonderfully in the text, and I was often left chuckling at his remarks. I'd never expected to laugh when reading a book on engineering. I've read many novels which couldn't compare to this book, in terms of the writing skill of the author. The final chapter, on the philosophy of chapters, is outstanding.

I can't recommend this book enough, whether you're specificly looking for a book on engineering, or whether you're simply looking for your next book.

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