Structures, or, Why things don't fall down / J.E. Gordon.

Originally published: Harmondsworth : Penguin Books, 1978.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 388-390) and index.

Foreword -- The structure in our lives : or how to communicate with engineers -- Part I. The difficult birth of the science of elasticity. Why structures carry loads : or the springiness of solids ; The invention of stress and strain : or Baron Cauchy and the decipherment of Young's modulus ; Designing for safety : or can you really trust strength calculations? ; Strain energy and modern fracture mechanics : with a digression on bows, catapults and kangaroos -- Part II. Tension structures. Tension structures and pressure vessels : with some remarks on boilers, bats and Chinese junks ; Joints, fastenings and people : also about creep and chariot wheels ; Soft materials and living structures : or how to design a worm -- Part III. Compression and bending structures. Walls, arches and dams : or cloud-capp'd towers and the stability of masonry ; Something about bridges : or Saint Bénezèt and Saint Isambard ; The advantage of being a beam : with observations on roofs, trusses and masts ; The mysteries of shear and torsion : or Polaris and the bias-cut nightie ; The various ways of failing in compression : or sandwiches, skulls and Dr. Euler -- Part IV. And the consequence was ... The philosophy of design : or the shape, the weight and the cost ; A chapter of accidents : a study in sin, error and metal fatigue ; Efficiency and aesthetics : or the world we have to live in -- Appendix 1. Handbooks and formulae -- Appendix 2. Beam theory -- Appendix 3. Torsion -- Appendix 4. The efficiency of columns and panels under compression loads.

For 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. 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. 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.