Light Aircraft Association General Engineering Design/Theory

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	Invention by Design - by Henry Petroski In this book, Petroski delves deeper into the mystery of invention, to explore what everyday artifacts and sophisticated networks can reveal about the way engineers solve problems. Engineering entails more than knowing the way things work. What do economics and ecology, aesthetics and ethics, have to do with the shape of a paper clip, the tab of a beverage can, the cabin design of a turbojet, or the course of a river? How do the idiosyncrasies of individual engineers, companies and communities leave their mark on projects from Velcro to fax machines to waterworks? "Invention by Design" offers an insider's look at these political and cultural dimensions of design and development, production and construction. Henry Petroski's previous books include: "To Engineer Is Human", which was developed into a BBC television documentary; "The Pencil": "The Evolution of Useful Things"; and "Engineers of Dreams". Softback, 256pp, illustrated. Price: £15.00


	Pushing the Limits - by H Petroski Here are two dozen tales in the grand adventure of engineering from the Henry Petroski, who has been called America’s poet laureate of technology. Pushing the Limits celebrates some of the largest things we have created–bridges, dams, buildings--and provides a startling new vision of engineering’s past, its present, and its future. Along the way it highlights our greatest successes, like London’s Tower Bridge; our most ambitious projects, like China’s Three Gorges Dam; our most embarrassing moments, like the wobbly Millennium Bridge in London; and our greatest failures, like the collapse of the twin towers on September 11. Throughout, Petroski provides fascinating and provocative insights into the world of technology with his trademark erudition and enthusiasm for the subject. Softabck, 304pp, b&w photographs. Price: £10.00


	Success through Failure - by H Petroski From [Henry Petroski's] vantage point, failures in design and construction present perfect teaching opportunities. They are object lessons in the history and practice and beauty of engineering. (Cornelia Dean The New York Times ). From the clumsy packaging of Aleve pain reliever to the space shuttle Columbia disaster, the engrossing study mourns and celebrates failed designs that spur further improvement. . . . The moral Petroski draws-success breeds hubris and catastrophe, failure nurtures humility and insight-is worth pondering, but his conceit mainly furnishes a peg for his trademark historical sketches of the world of objects, full of evocative observations. . . . Henry Petroski delivers a lesson in the price of progress and another perceptive look at the relationship between man and his stuff. (Publishers Weekly ). Recent books have brought economics to the masses, and there now seems to be a trend to do the same with design. This is a good thing and this book, like several earlier ones by Petroski, is part of this very welcome trend. Success Through Failure is insightful and accessible. I hope it is widely read. (J. M. Ottino Nature ). Petroski's main message deserves notice. He points out that failure is an inherent part of success when it comes to design and innovation, and failure can come in many forms. Some things do not work. Others work well but nobody buys them. Yet others work fine but die out when something better comes along. (Martin Ince Times Higher Education Supplement). [Henry Petroski] explores the nature of invention and the character of the inventor through a range of everyday and extraordinary examples, and he stresses that there is no surer road to failure than modeling designs solely on past successes. . .This book is an excellent read, and it is hard to put down. (Architectural Science Review). This is a book about human nature in design settings and its role in the development of products and our built environment. . . . Ingenuity is explored as a pendulum that swings between success and failure, driven by design philosophy and practices in a given place and time. (Library Journal). From ancient Roman engineers dismayed at the failure of stone-arch bridges to twenty-first-century American architects stunned by the collapse of the Twin Towers, designers have frequently learned valuable principles through hard tutelage. Lucid and concise, this study invites nonspecialists to share in the challenge of trial-and-error engineering. (Booklist). Petroski tells iconic tales to demonstrate that mistakes are not obnoxious by-products of innovation but fundamental clues to the ideal. (Fast Company). <Actinic:Variable Name = 'An'/> engaging and readable book. . . . Petroski uses countless interesting case histories to show how failure motivates technological advancement. . . . I recommend you keep a copy of Petroski's book on hand and flip through it next time you're feeling seduced by success. (Steven Cass IEEE Spectrum). Success through Failure is an insightful and accessible foray into design. The book is a page-turner, with an intensity that builds as you read. I found myself waiting for discussions of various topics--from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the space shuttle--only to find them before me several pages later. A must-read for any design engineer, or anyone who wants to understand how great designs evolve. (Jonathan Cagan, coauthor of "The Design of Things to Come" and "Creating Breakthrough Products"). 256 pages, softback. Price: £15.00


	To Engineer Is Human - by H Petroski How did a simple design error cause one of the great disasters of the 1980s-the collapse of the walkways at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel? What made the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge twist apart in a mild wind in 1940? How did an oversized waterlily inspire the magnificent Crystal Palace, the crowning achievement of Victorian architecture and engineering? These are some of the failures and successes that Henry Petroski, author of the acclaimed The Pencil, examines in this engaging, wonderfully literate book. More than a series of fascinating case studies, To Engineer Is Human is a work that looks at our deepest notions of progress and perfection, tracing the fine connection between the quantifiable realm of science and the chaotic realities of everyday life. Softback, 250pp. Price: £10.00


	What Engineers Know, and How They Know It : Analytical Studies From Aeronautical History - by W G Vincenti. To solve their design problems, engineers draw on a vast body of knowledge about how things work. Examining previously unstudied historical cases, this author shows how engineering knowledge is obtained and presents a model to help explain the growth of such knowledge. "The biggest contribution of Vincenti's splendidly crafted book may well be that it offers us a believably human image of the engineer." -- Technology Review. "'Must' reading for all thoughtful engineers and historians of technology, and even for those physical scientists who wonder why engineers frequently act and think differently than do basic scientists." -- American Scientist Softback, 336pp, illustrated. Price: £20.00


	McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering Derived from the world-renowned "McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, Sixth Edition", <Actinic:Variable Name = 'roman'/> this vital reference offers a wealth of essential information in a portable, convenient, quick-find format. Whether you're a professional, a student, a writer, or a general reader with an interest in science, there is no better or more authoritative way to stay up-to-speed with the current language of the various branches of engineering or gain an understanding of their key ideas and concepts. Written in clear, simple language understandable to the general reader, yet in-depth enough for scientists, educators, and advanced students, "The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering, Second Edition" has been extensively revised, with 17,500 entries encompassing the language of engineering.It includes synonyms, acronyms, and abbreviations; and, provides pronunciations for all terms. It covers such topics as building construction, chemical engineering, civil engineering, control systems, design engineering, engineering acoustics, industrial engineering, information technology and computing, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, telecommunications, and thermodynamics. It also includes an appendix containing tables of useful data and information. It is based on the "McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms" - for more than a quarter-of-a-century the standard international reference. Carefully reviewed for clarity, completeness, and accuracy, the "McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering, Second Edition", offers a standard of excellence unmatched by any similar publication. Derived from the world-renowned McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, Sixth Edition, <Actinic:Variable Name = 'roman'/> this vital reference offers a wealth of essential information in a portable, convenient, quick-find format. Whether you’re a professional, a student, a writer, or a general reader with an interest in science, there is no better or more authoritative way to stay up-to-speed with the current language of the various branches of engineering or gain an understanding of their key ideas and concepts. Written in clear, simple language understandable to the general reader, yet in-depth enough for scientists, educators, and advanced students, The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering, Second Edition: * Has been extensively revised, with 17,500 entries encompassing the language of engineering * Includes synonyms, acronyms, and abbreviations * Provides pronunciations for all terms * Covers such topics as building construction, chemical engineering, civil engineering, control systems, design engineering, engineering acoustics, industrial engineering, information technology and computing, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, telecommunications, and thermodynamics * Includes an appendix containing tables of useful data and information * Is based on the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms for more than a quarter-of-a-century THE standard international reference. Carefully reviewed for clarity, completeness, and accuracy, the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering, Second Edition, offers a standard of excellence unmatched by any similar publication. 643pp Price: £14.00


	The Penguin Dictionary of Science The Penguin Dictionary of Science covers all the important topics in this key subject area, including chemistry, physics, molecular biology, biochemistry, human anatomy, mathematics, astronomy and computing. Superbly comprehensive and accessible, this dictionary is the ideal reference tool for anyone who needs to understand scientific terms, whether student, researcher or enthusiastic layperson. Provides clear definitions of some 7,000 scientific terms. Gives succinct explanations of fundamental terms (ammonia, base pairing, cell) and more specialist concepts (allosteric enzyme, Bravais lattice, close packing). Covers individual elements and chemical compounds in detail. Contains appendices ranging from lists of SI units and fundamental constants to the periodic table and an outline classification of living organisms. Includes hundreds of illustrations and diagrams. 768 pp. Price: £12.00

Online Catalogue. > BOOKS - TECHNICAL MANUALS etc > General Engineering Design/Theory