Indeholder "List of Plates", "Acknowledgements", "Foreword to First Edition", "Foreword to Second Edition", "Chapter 1 - The New Science of strong materials - or how to ask awkward questions", "Part One - Elasticity and the theory of strength", "Chapter 2 - Stresses and strains - or why you don't fall through the floor", "Chapter 3 - Cohesion - or how strong ought materials to be?", "Chapter 4 - Cracks and dislocations - or why things are weak", "Part Two - The non-metallic tradition", "Chapter 5 - Crack-stopping or how to be tough", "Chapter 6 - Timber and cellulose - or Wooden ships and Iron men", "Chapter 7 - Glue and plywood - or mice in the gliders", "Chapter 8 - Composite materials - or how to make bricks with straw", "Part Three - The metallic tradition", "Chapter 9 - Ductility in metals - or the intimate life of the dislocation", "Chapter 10 - Iron and steel - Hepahistos among the Satanic Mills", "Chapter 11 - The materials of the future - or how to have second thoughts", "Appendix 1 - On the various kinds of solids - and what about treacle?", " Note on Conversion of Units", "Appendix 2 - Simple beam formulae - or do your own stressing", "Suggestions for further study", "Index".

Glimrende bog om materialefysik. Lim er fx utrolig interessant i Gordons fremstilling. ( )

wonderful book! I've been excited about glues ever since I first read it; AND I do my own personal little experiments whenever I see a new one. ( )

Unexpectedly fun to read. The author has a conversational style that is unlike most other science and engineering books. The book was originally written in the 1960's and is a bit dated, despite being updated for the second edition in 1976. The information about material strength is still good, and the discussions about early aircraft, ship, and locomotive design are the best parts. ( )

This book is a model for how to write a hugely entertaining and interesting book on a seemingly mundane topic: Why don't we fall through the floor? This is how science should work: Ask questions about things we take for granted and see if we really know the answer. A must read for anybody interested in engineering and architecture, but also a must read for any aspiring science writer. These days a lot of publishers think science writing has to be about something obviously spectacular (black holes, strings...) to be exciting. Gordon shows that good writing can make any topic hugely interesting - even more so as this is actually relevant to our daily lives. ( )

This was the key book I had to read in the summer before going up to university 28yrs ago to study Materials Science. I'm glad to see it's still in print! ( )