Product Description

In "The New Science of Strong Materials" the author made plain the secrets of materials science. In this volume he explains the importance and properties of different structures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18007 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

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'.

Customer Reviews

Very readable book on everyday engineering structures
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.

Structures
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

Not very technical and too friendly
This is a book that I admire for its honesty. It's not too technical or detailed in the technology involved in structures, but this is why it was written. For common people, degree starters and professionals that want some expert opinion on everyday structural work. You won't find only philosophy or only random thoughts, or just technical details. You will not get the feeling that the book scratches the surface. For the simple reason, this book does all this at the same time in a special way that it is a beautifull read, a nice historic overview in structural engineering and offers simple answers to the question "why materials do that or that".

The book has two main audiences. First, starters to the science of material and structural angineering. Second, experts to these science group that want some opinions and historic reference from a mature professional that had worked in the design, study and maintaince of various structures, from aircrafts and ships to boilers and even.. plants and humans.

It's real beauty of this book resides to the fact that it behaves to materials at the same time and with the same 'respect'. It doesn't matter if it's wood, or steel, or concrete, or even bat's skin. They are all materials that share the same science over different properties.