“What are the best books about and for Engineering?” We looked at 326 of the top Engineering books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 46 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Engineering” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 275+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

Top 46 Engineering Books Of All-Time

46 .) Ada Twist, Scientist

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Edutopia

Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble!

45 .) Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering

Brunelleschi’s Dome is the story of how a Renaissance man bent men, materials, and the very forces of nature to build an architectural wonder. Not a master mason or carpenter, Filippo Brunelleschi was a goldsmith and clock maker. Over twenty-eight years, he would dedicate himself to solving puzzles of the dome’s construction. In the process, he did nothing less than reinvent the field of architecture. He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone (some among the most renowned machines of the Renaissance) to carry an estimated seventy million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers’ platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction. This drama was played out amid plagues, wars, political feuds, and the intellectual ferments of Renaissance Florence – events Ross King weaves into a story to great effect.

44 .) Code Complete by Steve McConnell

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Linkedin

Widely considered one of the best practical guides to programming, Steve McConnell’s original CODE COMPLETE has been helping developers write better software for more than a decade. Now this classic book has been fully updated and revised with leading-edge practices–and hundreds of new code samples–illustrating the art and science of software construction. Capturing the body of knowledge available from research, academia, and everyday commercial practice, McConnell synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. No matter what your experience level, development environment, or project size, this book will inform and stimulate your thinking–and help you build the highest quality code. Discover the timeless techniques and strategies that help you: Design for minimum complexity and maximum creativity Reap the benefits of collaborative development Apply defensive programming techniques to reduce and flush out errors Exploit opportunities to refactor–or evolve–code, and do it safely Use construction practices that are right-weight for your project Debug problems quickly and effectively Resolve critical construction issues early and correctly Build quality into the beginning, middle, and end of your project

43 .) Design Paradigms: Case Histories of Error and Judgment in Engineering by Henry Petroski

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Interesting Engineering

From classical temples to twentieth century towers, engineers have learned more about design from failure than from success. By showing how errors were introduced and how they might be avoided, this book suggests how better design quality and reliability may be achieved.

42 .) Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich Gamma

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Hacker Moon

Capturing a wealth of experience about the design of object-oriented software, four top-notch designers present a catalog of simple and succinct solutions to commonly occurring design problems. Previously undocumented, these 23 patterns allow designers to create more flexible, elegant, and ultimately reusable designs without having to rediscover the design solutions themselves. The authors begin by describing what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. They then go on to systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems. With Design Patterns as your guide, you will learn how these important patterns fit into the software development process, and how you can leverage them to solve your own design problems most efficiently. Each pattern describes the circumstances in which it is applicable, when it can be applied in view of other design constraints, and the consequences and trade-offs of using the pattern within a larger design. All patterns are compiled from real systems and are based on real-world examples. Each pattern also includes code that demonstrates how it may be implemented in object-oriented programming languages like C++ or Smalltalk.

41 .) Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Wireless Design Mag

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius’s life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vance uses Musk’s story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk is an amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy

40 .) Engineering Fundamentals by Saeed Moaveni

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Interesting Engineering

Motivating students from all engineering disciplines, this text encourages students to become engineers and prepares them with a solid foundation in fundamental principles and physical laws. The book begins by introducing students to the exciting world of engineering as they discover what engineers do as well as the various areas of specialization. After explaining good study habits and what it takes to succeed, Moaveni then prepares them for success with an introduction to design and problem solving, communication, and ethics. Once this foundation is established, the book moves on to the basic physical concepts and laws students will encounter regularly as engineering students. The text emphasizes that engineers apply physical and chemical laws and principles as well as mathematics to design, test, and supervise the production of millions of parts, products, and services that people use everyday. By gaining problem solving skills and an understanding of fundamental principles, students are on their way to becoming analytical, detail-oriented, and creative engineers.

39 .) Engineering in the Ancient World by J.G. Landels

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering

Within the limitations of power available to them, ancient Greeks and Romans made remarkable machines–which were not improved on until the Industrial Revolution. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Romans was their water engineering, with aqueducts to carry water for miles to feed their municipal plumbing systems. Landels draws on evidence from archaeological discoveries and literary sources, as well as his own experience of engineering, to show how these machines were developed

38 .) Engineering the ABC’s: How Engineers Shape Our World

Lists It Appears On:

• 3DCS
• Interesting Engineering

Imagine a world without cars and computers. or toys and televisions, or movies and microwaves. Then imagine a world without engineers. Engineering the ABC’s answers questions about now everyday things work and how engineering relates to so many parts of a child’s daily life. In an entertaining and engaging way, this book shows how engineers shape our world.

37 .) Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics by Bruce R. Munson

Lists It Appears On:

• Bright Hub Engineering
• Goodreads

Master fluid mechanics with the #1 text in the field Effective pedagogy, everyday examples, an outstanding collection of practical problems–these are just a few reasons why Munson, Young, and Okiishi’s Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics is the best-selling fluid mechanics text on the market. In each new edition, the authors have refined their primary goal of helping you develop the skills and confidence you need to master the art of solving fluid mechanics problems. This new Fifth Edition includes many new problems, revised and updated examples, new Fluids in the News case study examples, new introductory material about computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the availability of FlowLab for solving simple CFD problems. Access special resources online New copies of this text include access to resources on the book’s website, including: * 80 short Fluids Mechanics Phenomena videos, which illustrate various aspects of real-world fluid mechanics. * Review Problems for additional practice, with answers so you can check your work. * 30 extended laboratory problems that involve actual experimental data for simple experiments. The data for these problems is provided in Excel format. * Computational Fluid Dynamics problems to be solved with FlowLab software. Student Solution Manual and Study Guide A Student Solution Manual and Study Guide is available for purchase, including essential points of the text, “Cautions” to alert you to common mistakes, 109 additional example problems with solutions, and complete solutions for the Review Problems.

36 .) Fundamentals of Thermodynamics

Lists It Appears On:

• Bright Hub Engineering
• Interesting Engineering

For the past three decades, Sonntag, Borgnakke, and Van Wylen’s FUNDAMENTALS OF THERMODYNAMICS has been the leading textbook in the field. Now updated and enhanced with numerous worked examples, homework problems, and illustrations, and a rich selection of Web-based learning resources, the new Sixth Edition continues to present a comprehensive and rigorous treatment of classical thermodynamics, while retaining an engineering perspective. The text lays the groundwork for subsequent studies in fields such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer and statistical thermodynamics, and prepares students to effectively apply thermodynamics in the practice of engineering.

35 .) Getting Things Done by David Allen

Lists It Appears On:

• Effective Engineer
• Medium

In today’s world, yesterday’s methods just don’t work. In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen’s premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential. In Getting Things Done Allen shows how to: * Apply the “do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it” rule to get your in-box to empty * Reassess goals and stay focused in changing situations * Plan projects as well as get them unstuck * Overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed * Feel fine about what you’re not doing From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Done can transform the way you work, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down.

34 .) If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

Lists It Appears On:

• 3DCS
• Fatherly

If I built a car, it’d be totally new!Here are a few of the things that I’d do. . . . Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he’d like to build. There’s a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack’s soaring imagination in the driver’s seat, we’re deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.

33 .) Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas H. Cormen

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Linkedin

This title covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. Each chapter is relatively self-contained and can be used as a unit of study. The algorithms are described in English and in a pseudocode designed to be readable by anyone who has done a little programming. The explanations have been kept elementary without sacrificing depth of coverage or mathematical rigor.

32 .) Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing by Henry Petroski

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Goodreads

Henry Petroski’s previous bestsellers have delighted readers with intriguing stories about the engineering marvels around us, from the lowly pencil to the soaring suspension bridge. 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(R) 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. Readers unfamiliar with engineering will find Petroski’s enthusiasm contagious, whether the topic is the genesis of the Ziploc baggie or the averted collapse of Manhattan’s sleekest skyscraper. And those who inhabit the world of engineering will discover insights to challenge their customary perspective, whether their work involves failure analysis, systems design, or public relations. Written with the flair that readers have come to expect from his books, Invention by Design reaffirms Petroski as the master explicator of the principles and processes that turn thoughts into the many things that define our made world.

31 .) Machinery’s Handbook

Lists It Appears On:

• Bright Hub Engineering
• Interesting Engineering

The 25th edition of the bible of the mechanical industries. The speeds and feeds section has been revised, updated and expanded to include new materials, more cutting tools, and tool life estimates. The welding section has been rewritten to incorporate recent developments, the numerical control section has been expanded and rearranged to facilitate use, and logarithm and trigonometry tables have been reinstated. New to this edition are sections on bolt tightening torques, motion control sections, ISO 9000, lasers, dividing heads, bandsaws (including speeds and feeds), electrical discharge machining, retaining rings, machinability of wood, and collets. In addition, all the practical information and data has been reviewed and updated where necessary.

30 .) Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers by Ali Sadegh Eugene A. AvalloneTheodore Baumeister

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Bright Hub Engineering

Solve any mechanical engineering problem quickly and easily with the world’s leading engineering handbook Nearly 1800 pages of mechanical engineering facts, figures, standards, and practices, 2000 illustrations, and 900 tables clarifying important mathematical and engineering principle, and the collective wisdom of 160 experts help you answer any analytical, design, and application question you will ever have.

29 .) Mechanics of Materials by Ferdinand P. Beer

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Goodreads

Beer and Johnston have been the uncontested leaders in the teaching of undergraduate engineering mechanics. Their careful presentation of content, unmatched levels of accuracy, and attention to detail have made their texts the standard for excellence. The revision of their classic Mechanics of Materials features an updated art and photo program as well as numerous new and revised homework problems. The text’s superior Online Learning Center (www.mhhe.com/beermom4e) includes an extensive Self-paced, Mechanics, Algorithmic, Review and Tutorial (S.M.A.R.T.), created by George Staab and Brooks Breeden of The Ohio State University, that provides students with additional help on key concepts. The custom website also features animations for each chapter, lecture powerpoints, and other online resources for both instructors and students.

28 .) Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister.

Lists It Appears On:

• Effective Engineer
• Karll Hughes

Two of the computer industry’s most popular authors and lecturers return with a new edition of the software management book that started a revolution.With humor and wisdom drawn from years of management and consulting experience, DeMarco and Lister demonstrate that the major issues of software development are human, not technical — and that managers ignore them at their peril. Now, with a new preface and eight new chapters — expanding the original edition by one third — the authors enlarge upon their previous ideas and add fresh insights, examples, and potent anecdotes. Discover dozens of ingenious tips on how to — put more quality into a product — loosen up formal methodologies — fight corporate entropy — make it acceptable to be uninterruptible Peopleware shows you how to cultivate teams that are healthy and productive. The answers aren’t easy — just incredibly successful.

27 .) Remaking the World: Adventures in Engineering by Henry Petroski

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Goodreads

Science/Engineering “Petroski has an inquisitive mind, and he is a fine writer. . . . [He] takes us on a lively tour of engineers, their creations and their necessary turns of mind.” –Los Angeles Times From the Ferris wheel to the integrated circuit, feats of engineering have changed our environment in countless ways, big and small. In Remaking the World: Adventures in Engineering, Duke University’s Henry Petroski focuses on the big: Malaysia’s 1,482-foot Petronas Towers as well as the Panama Canal, a cut through the continental divide that required the excavation of 311 million cubic yards of earth. Remaking the World tells the stories behind the man-made wonders of the world, from squabbles over the naming of the Hoover Dam to the effects the Titanic disaster had on the engineering community of 1912.

26 .) Startup Engineering Management by Piaw Na

Lists It Appears On:

• Karll Hughes
• Kettering

25 .) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen R. Covey

Lists It Appears On:

• Effective Engineer
• Medium

When Stephen Covey first released The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the book became an instant rage because people suddenly got up and took notice that their lives were headed off in the wrong direction; and more than that, they realized that there were so many simple things they could do in order to navigate their life correctly. This book was wonderful education for people, education in how to live life effectively and get closer to the ideal of being a ‘success’ in life. But not everyone understands Stephen Covey’s model fully well, or maybe there are some people who haven’t read it yet. This is definitely true because we still see so much failure all around us. Now, I am not saying that by using Covey’s model, or anyone else’s model for that matter, you can become a sure-shot success, but at least we should have seen many more successes around us already judging by the number of copies the book has sold! So, where is the shortcoming? There are two main problems here, and we are talking only about the people who have read the book already. The first problem is that most people are too lazy to implement the ideals of Stephen Covey in their lives.

24 .) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

Lists It Appears On:

• Born To Engineer
• Goodreads

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala—crazy—but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do. Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi’s top boarding schools. But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family’s farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died. Yet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity—electricity and running water. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season. Soon, news of William’s magetsi a mphepo—his “electric wind”—spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world. Here is the remarkable story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

23 .) The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Lists It Appears On:

• Born To Engineer
• Karll Hughes

Written in a fast-paced thriller style, The Goal is the gripping novel which is transforming management thinking throughout the Western world. Alex Rogo is a harried plant manager working ever more desperately to try and improve performance. His factory is rapidly heading for disaster. So is his marriage. He has ninety days to save his plant—or it will be closed by corporate HQ, with hundreds of job losses. It takes a chance meeting with a colleague from student days—Jonah—to help him break out of conventional ways of thinking to see what needs to be done. The story of Alex’s fight to save his plant is more than compulsive reading. It contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas which underline the Theory of Constraints (TOC) developed by Eli Goldratt.

22 .) The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering

Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail if not from insurmountable technical problems then from political corruption. (It was the heyday of Boss Tweed in New York.) But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a surpassing work of art, a proud American icon, and a story like no other in our history. Courage, chicanery, unprecedented ingenuity and plain blundering, heroes, rascals, all the best and worst in human nature played a part. At the center of the drama were the stricken chief engineer, Washington Roebling and his remarkable wife, Emily Warren Roebling, neither of whom ever gave up in the face of one heartbreaking setback after another. The Great Bridge is a sweeping narrative of a stupendous American achievement that rose up out of its era like a cathedral, a symbol of affirmation then and still in our time.

21 .) The Making of an Expert Engineer by James Trevelyan

Lists It Appears On:

• Interesting Engineering
• Kettering

This book sets out the principles of engineering practice, knowledge that has come to light through more than a decade of research by the author and his students studying engineers at work. Until now, this knowledge has been almost entirely unwritten, passed on invisibly from one generation of engineers to the next, what engineers refer to as experience.This is a book for all engineers. It distils the knowledge of many experts in one volume. The book will help engineers enjoy a more satisfying and rewarding career and provide more valuable results for their employers and clients.The book focuses on issues often seen as non-technical in the world of engineering, yet it shows how these issues are thoroughly technical. Engineering firms traditionally have sought expert advice on these aspects from management schools, often regarding these aspects of engineering practice as something to do with psychology or organisational behaviour.

20 .) The Martian by Andy Weir

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Wireless Design Mag

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

19 .) The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andy Hunt

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering

Ward Cunningham Straight from the programming trenches, The Pragmatic Programmer cuts through the increasing specialization and technicalities of modern software development to examine the core process–taking a requirement and producing working, maintainable code that delights its users. It covers topics ranging from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse. Read this book, and youll learn how to *Fight software rot; *Avoid the trap of duplicating knowledge; *Write flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code; *Avoid programming by coincidence; *Bullet-proof your code with contracts, assertions, and exceptions; *Capture real requirements; *Test ruthlessly and effectively; *Delight your users; *Build teams of pragmatic programmers; and *Make your developments more precise with automation. Written as a series of self-contained sections and filled with entertaining anecdotes, thoughtful examples, and interesting analogies, The Pragmatic Programmer illustrates the best practices and major pitfalls of many different aspects of software development. Whether youre a new coder, an experienced programm

18 .) The Soul of a New Machine

Lists It Appears On:

• Apple Rubber
• Interesting Engineering

The computer revolution brought with it new methods of getting work done—just look at today’s news for reports of hard-driven, highly-motivated young software and online commerce developers who sacrifice evenings and weekends to meet impossible deadlines. Tracy Kidder got a preview of this world in the late 1970s when he observed the engineers of Data General design and build a new 32-bit minicomputer in just one year. His thoughtful, prescient book, The Soul of a New Machine, tells stories of 35-year-old “veteran” engineers hiring recent college graduates and encouraging them to work harder and faster on complex and difficult projects, exploiting the youngsters’ ignorance of normal scheduling processes while engendering a new kind of work ethic. These days, we are used to the “total commitment” philosophy of managing technical creation, but Kidder was surprised and even a little alarmed at the obsessions and compulsions he found. From in-house political struggles to workers being permitted to tease management to marathon 24-hour work sessions, The Soul of a New Machine explores concepts that already seem familiar, even old-hat, less than 20 years later. Kidder plainly admires his subjects; while he admits to hopeless confusion about their work, he finds their dedication heroic.

17 .) What Engineers Know and How They Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History by W.G. Vincenti

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Admissions

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.

16 .) Working Effectively with Legacy Code

Lists It Appears On:

• Hacker Moon
• Linkedin

Get more out of your legacy systems, more performance, functionality, reliability, and manageability.Is your code easy to change? Can you get nearly instantaneous feedback when you do change it? Do you understand it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you have legacy code, and it is draining time and money away from your development efforts. In this book, Michael Feathers offers start-to-finish strategies for working more effectively with large, untested legacy code bases. This book draws on material Michael created for his renowned Object Mentor seminars, techniques Michael has used in mentoring to help hundreds of developers, technical managers, and testers bring their legacy systems under control. The topics covered include: Understanding the mechanics of software change, adding features, fixing bugs, improving design, optimizing performance Getting legacy code into a test harness Writing tests that protect you against introducing new problems Techniques that can be used with any language or platform, with examples in Java, C++, C, and C# Accurately identifying where code changes need to be made Coping with legacy systems that aren’t object-oriented Handling applications that don’t seem to have any structure This book also includes a catalog of twenty-four dependency-breaking techniques that help you work with program elements in isolation and make safer changes.

15 .) Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Hacker Moon
• Linkedin

Even bad code can function. But if code isn t clean, it can bring a development organization to its knees. Every year, countless hours and significant resources are lost because of poorly written code. But it doesn t have to be that way. Noted software expert Robert C. Martin presents a revolutionary paradigm with Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship . Martin has teamed up with his colleagues from Object Mentor to distill their best agile practice of cleaning code on the fly into a book that will instill within you the values of a software craftsman and make you a better programmer but only if you work at it. What kind of work will you be doing? You ll be reading code lots of code. And you will be challenged to think about what s right about that code, and what s wrong with it. More importantly, you will be challenged to reassess your professional values and your commitment to your craft. Clean Code is divided into three parts. The first describes the principles, patterns, and practices of writing clean code. The second part consists of several case studies of increasing complexity. Each case study is an exercise in cleaning up code of transforming a code base that has some problems into one that is sound and efficient.

14 .) Engineering and the Mind’s Eye by Eugene S. Ferguson

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Born To Engineer
• Interesting Engineering

In this insightful and incisive essay, Eugene Ferguson demonstrates that good engineering is as much a matter of intuition and nonverbal thinking as of equations and computation. He argues that a system of engineering education that ignores nonverbal thinking will produce engineers who are dangerously ignorant of the many ways in which the real world differs from the mathematical models constructed in academic minds.

13 .) Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction by William D. Callister Jr.

Lists It Appears On:

• Bright Hub Engineering
• Goodreads
• The Student Room

Clear and concise discussions This text has received many accolades for its ability to clearly and concisely convey materials science and engineering concepts at an appropriate level to ensure student understanding.

12 .) Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben R. Rich

Lists It Appears On:

• Born To Engineer
• Goodreads
• NESGT

From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind the high-stakes quest to dominate the skies Skunk Works is the true story of America’s most secret & successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation’s brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works is a drama of cold war confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering & achievement against fantastic odds. Here are up-close portraits of the maverick band of scientists & engineers who made the Skunk Works so renowned. Filled with telling personal anecdotes & high adventure, with narratives from the CIA & from Air Force pilots who flew the many classified, risky missions, this book is a portrait of the most spectacular aviation triumphs of the 20th century.

11 .) The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems by Henry Petroski

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Engineering Daily
• Goodreads

From the acclaimed author of “The Pencil” and “To Engineer Is Human,” “The Essential Engineer” is an eye-opening exploration of the ways in which science and engineering must work together to address our world’s most pressing issues, from dealing with climate change and the prevention of natural disasters to the development of efficient automobiles and the search for renewable energy sources. While the scientist may identify problems, it falls to the engineer to solve them. It is the inherent practicality of engineering, which takes into account structural, economic, environmental, and other factors that science often does not consider, that makes engineering vital to answering our most urgent concerns. Henry Petroski takes us inside the research, development, and debates surrounding the most critical challenges of our time, exploring the feasibility of biofuels, the progress of battery-operated cars, and the question of nuclear power. He gives us an in-depth investigation of the various options for renewable energy–among them solar, wind, tidal, and ethanol–explaining the benefits and risks of each.

10 .) The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Fatherly
• Goodreads

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. For the early grades’ exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl’s frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it’s okay to make mistakes.

9 .) Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture from the Pyramids to the Skyscraper by Mario Salvadori

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering

Between a nomad’s tent and the Sears Tower lies a revolution in technology, materials, and structures. Here is a clear and enthusiastic introduction to buildings methods from ancient times to the present day, including recent advances in science and technology that have had important effects on the planning and construction of buildings: improved materials (steel, concrete, plastics), progress in antiseismic designs, and the revolutionary changes in both architectural and structural design made possible by the computer.

8 .) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Lists It Appears On:

• Apple Rubber
• ASME
• Interesting Engineering

One of the most important & influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerfully moving & penetrating examination of how we live, a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Here is the book that transformed a generation, an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America’s Northwest, undertaken by a father & his young son. A story of love & fear–of growth, discovery & acceptance–that becomes a profound personal & philosophical odyssey into life’s fundamental questions, this uniquely exhilarating modern classic is both touching & transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence & the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

7 .) Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Edutopia
• Fatherly
• Goodreads

Dove qualcuno vede solo un mucchio di spazzatura, Rosie Revere vede una fonte d’ispirazione. Di notte, nella sua stanza, la timida Rosie costruisce fantasiose invenzioni riciclando le cianfrusaglie che trova in giro. Distributori automatici di hot-dog, pantaloni volanti all’elio, cappelli scaccia-serpenti a base di pecorino: ogni sua creazione lascerebbe il mondo a bocca aperta, se solo Rosie permettesse a qualcuno di vederla. Invece, per la paura di fallire, Rosie nasconde i suoi marchingegni – e i suoi sogni – sotto il letto. Fino al giorno in cui riceve la visita della pro-pro-zia Rose, che le insegna una grande lezione: uno sbaglio non è mai qualcosa da temere bensì un motivo per festeggiare, perché sbagliare significa imparare.

6 .) Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by J.E. Gordon

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Apple Rubber
• Goodreads
• Norwich

In a book that Business Insider noted as one of the “14 Books that inspired Elon Musk,” 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’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. Architects and engineers will appreciate the clear and cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression.

5 .) The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman

Lists It Appears On:

• ASME
• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering
• NESGT

Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans — from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools — must read this book, and it is an equally tremendous read for anyone who has to use anything created by another human. It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design and the desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed.

4 .) Why Buildings Fall Down by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori

Lists It Appears On:

• Admissions
• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering
• NESGT

The stories that make up Why Buildings Fall Down are in the end very human ones, tales of the interaction of people and nature, of architects, engineers, builders, materials, and natural forces all coming together in sometimes dramatic (and always instructive) ways.

3 .) The Existential Pleasures of Engineering by Samuel C. Florman

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Admissions
• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering
• NESGT

Humans have always sought to change their environment–building houses, monuments, temples, and roads. In the process, they have remade the fabric of the world into newly functional objects that are also works of art to be admired. In this second edition of his popular Existential Pleasures of Engineering, Samuel Florman explores how engineers think and feel about their profession. A deeply insightful and refreshingly unique text, this book corrects the myth that engineering is cold and passionless. Indeed, Florman celebrates engineering not only crucial and fundamental but also vital and alive; he views it as a response to some of our deepest impulses, an endeavor rich in spiritual and sensual rewards. Opposing the “anti-technology” stance, Florman gives readers a practical, creative, and even amusing philosophy of engineering that boasts of pride in his craft.

2 .) The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks Jr.

Lists It Appears On:

• Apple Rubber
• Goodreads
• Interesting Engineering
• Karll Hughes
• Linkedin

Few books on software project management have been as influential and timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. With a blend of software engineering facts and thought-provoking opinions, Fred Brooks offers insight for anyone managing complex projects. These essays draw from his experience as project manager for the IBM System/360 computer family and then for OS/360, its massive software system. Now, 20 years after the initial publication of his book, Brooks has revisited his original ideas and added new thoughts and advice, both for readers already familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time.The added chapters contain (1) a crisp condensation of all the propositions asserted in the original book, including Brooks’ central argument in The Mythical Man-Month: that large programming projects suffer management problems different from small ones due to the division of labor; that the conceptual integrity of the product is therefore critical; and that it is difficult but possible to achieve this unity; (2) Brooks’ view of these propositions a generation later; (3) a reprint of his classic 1986 paper “No Silver Bullet”; and (4) today’s thoughts on the 1986 assertion, “There will be no silver bullet within ten years.”

1 .) To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design by Henry Petroski

Lists It Appears On:

• Aberuk
• Admissions
• Apple Rubber
• ASME
• Born To Engineer
• Engineering Daily
• Goodreads

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.

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