Stiffness describes how much a material lengthens when pulled (that is, strains when stressed), and is quantified by its Young’s modulus. In Chapter 1 of Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology, Russ Hobbie and I discuss two mechanical properties of a material: stiffness and strength. Recently, I reread Structures and read for the first time its sequel The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don’t Fall Through the Floor. It showed me to how engineers think about mechanics. When I was in graduate school, I read a fascinating book by James Gordon titled Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down. Without jargon or oversimplification, Structures opens up the marvels of technology to anyone interested in the foundations of our everyday lives.Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down, 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.
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.Īrchitects and engineers will appreciate the clear and cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression.
Structures: 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. Gordon strips engineering of its confusing technical terms, communicating its founding principles in accessible, witty prose.įor 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. In a book that Business Insider noted as one of the 14 Books that inspired Elon Musk, J.E.
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