{"version":"1.0","type":"link","provider_name":"Hardcover","provider_url":"https://hardcover.app","cache_age":86400,"title":"Structures","url":"https://hardcover.app/books/structures-2003","description":"In a book that Business Insider noted as one of the \u0026quot;14 Books that inspired Elon Musk,\u0026quot; J.E. Gordon strips engineering of its confusing technical terms, communicating its founding principles in accessible, witty prose. For anyone who has ever wondered why suspension bridges don\u0026#39;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. Structures: Or Why Things Don\u0026#39;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. In a style that combines wit, a masterful command of his subject, and an encyclopedic range of reference, Gordon includes such chapters as \u0026quot;How to Design a Worm\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;The Advantage of Being a Beam,\u0026quot; offering humorous insights in human and natural creation. Architects and engineers will appreciate the clear and cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression. If you\u0026#39;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. Without jargon or oversimplification, Structures opens up the marvels of technology to anyone interested in the foundations of our everyday lives.","author_name":"J. E. Gordon","author_url":"https://hardcover.app/authors/j-e-gordon","thumbnail_url":"https://assets.hardcover.app/edition/30396029/content.jpeg","thumbnail_width":128,"thumbnail_height":192}