Discussion Thread

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?

• The Empire State Building by John Tauranac
• The Tallest Tower by Joseph Harris (about the Eiffel Tower)
• The Flatiron by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
• Engineers of Dreams by Henry Petroski (about early American bridge engineers)

• Why Buildings Stand Up by Mario Salvadori
• Why Buildings Fall Down by Mario Salvadori and Matthys Levi
• Bridges by David Blockley (more advanced concepts)
• History of the Modern Suspension Bridge by Tadaki Kawada (from ASCE Press)

• Bridges of the World by David Ross
• Skylines by Bill Price
• Bridges by Judith Dupree
• Skyscrapers by Judith Dupree
• Masterpieces: Bridge Architecture + Design by Chris Van Uffelen
• New Architecture: An International Atlas by Francisco Asensio

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?

Hey Chris,

Like yourself and Doug, I am also really interested in Civil Engineering literature and enjoy a good book on it. I will leave some recommendations of some of my favorites for you down below. I very much agree that "Why Buildings Stand Up" was a great book.

To Engineer is Human - Henry Petrowski (Multiple case studies on engineering failures)
The Great Bridge - David McCullough (an in-depth read on the Brooklyn Bridge)
Structures or Why Things Don't Fall Down - J.E. Gordon
Letters to a Young Scientist - Edward O. Wilson
Engineering and the Mind's Eye - Eugene S. Ferguson

I hope this helps!

Jay DesChambeau, EIT

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?

Have you come across any good books that incorporate engineering into their themes, or in how they tell a story?

Two books I can think of which I really enjoyed and that also incorporated a lot of engineering topics into them are The Martian (Andy Weir) (also a movie) and Hieroglyph (multiple authors).

Both are fiction, however, I feel that The Martian is written so well that the reader can consistently believe that they are along for the ride of the protagonist. Also, most of the science described in the book seems to be accurate, and is explained in a fun and compelling way.

The author speaks here about his desire to be as accurate as possible as he wrote the story, and also reads the first chapter of the book. He is also himself a software engineer! https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/2015-summer-series/andy-weir

Hieroglyph is not one story, but a collection of short stories. It was written by teams of English and science professors at the University of Arizona, in an effort to develop compelling utopian (rather than traditional sci-fi dystopian) stories about the future. Each story focuses around one emerging technological concept and how it might change the world for the better.

Does anyone else have other recommendations?