Construction History

**Narrated by the Author!** Interior designer and television host Jeremiah Brent explores the emotional meaning of home in this warm and inviting book that illuminates what make peoples’ spaces so personally significant. For many of us, our houses are more than just where we hold our...

A Scientific American Favorite Book of 2025 The riveting story of the McKissack family—the founders of the leading Black design and construction firm in the United States, from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to its thriving status today—in a moving celebration of resilience and innovation...

Tucked away on the crest of the Al-Sabika Hill in Granada of Andalusia, Spain, just left of the babbling stream of the Darro River, sits a majestic structure overlooking the charming city and mystical meadows of La Vega. This palatial fortress and the fabled Alhambra are one and the same. To those who have seen it in its full glory, this was heaven on Earth itself. Many were quick to fall under the spell of its breathtaking beauty, with its admirers lovingly dubbing it “a pearl set in emeralds.”

In the spring of 1931, in a rugged desert canyon on the Arizona-Nevada border, an army of workmen began one of the most difficult and daring building projects ever undertaken: the construction of Hoover Dam. Through the worst years of the Great Depression as many as five thousand laborers toiled twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to erect the huge structure that would harness the Colorado River and transform the American West.

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.

A monumental tale of American ambition, told by Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master historian David McCullough. This gripping saga of the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the country’s boldest engineering achievements, reveals not only the politics and personalities behind...

Are we "noble in reason"? Perfect, in God's image? Far from it, says New York University psychologist Gary Marcus. In this lucid and revealing book, Marcus argues that the mind is not an elegantly designed organ but a "kluge", a clumsy, cobbled-together contraption. He unveils a fundamentally new way of looking at the human mind - think duct tape, not supercomputer - that sheds light on some of the most mysterious aspects of human nature.

Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer (20th Anniversary Edition) Have you ever wondered how theme parks create their magic? From soaring roller coasters to immersive dark rides, from spectacular shows to seamless park operations — discover the engineering secrets behind the world's greatest attractions. Written by Steve Alcorn, who helped design EPCOT Center and founded the leading manufacturer of theme park control systems, this insider's guide takes you behind the scenes of themed entertainment design. Whether you're considering a career in the industry or simply ...

"Unlock the Future of Sustainable Living: From the Roots of Geodesic Design to Building Your Own Three-Story Dome Home and Greenhouse!" 🌿 Ever wondered about living in a home that's not just beautiful but also sustainable and efficient? Dive into the fascinating world of geodesic dome homes—a revolutionary concept that combines architectural brilliance with eco-friendly living!Why This Book is a Must-Read: 🌟 Historical Journey: Trace the origins of geodesic designs back to the visionary architect Buckminster Fuller. Discover how a concept born in the 20th century is more relevant ...

Most people have heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but while not as many have heard of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, those who have are aware that the Panama Canal is considered one of them. In a world where few natural rivers carved out over eons of time have reached a length of more than 50 miles, the idea that a group of men could carve a canal of that length seemed impossible. In fact, many thought it could not be done.

Why don’t our schools work? Eve L. Ewing tackles this question from a new angle: What if they’re actually doing what they were built to do? She argues that instead of being the great equalizer, America’s classrooms were designed to do the opposite: to maintain the nation’s inequalities...

Children's author Andrea Winters presents: "Titanic Kids Book - Discover Fun Facts & Pictures About The Titanic Ship, The Titanic Crossing, It's Passenger List, The Titanic Sinking & More". This informative kids book includes great photographs & well chosen words to help children learn more about the world's most famous ship the Titanic. Aside from the amazing images Miss Winters presents in her Titanic Kids Book, she also covers some interesting facts and insights about how the Titanic was built, the maiden voyage, the ship's passengers and the sinking of this great ship. The pictures ...

From the boundary surveys of the 1850s to the ever-expanding fences and highway networks of the 21st century, Border Land, Border Water examines the history of the construction projects that have shaped the region where the United States and Mexico meet. Tracing the accretion of ports of entry, boundary markers, transportation networks, fences and barriers, surveillance infrastructure, and dams and other river engineering projects, C. J. Alvarez advances a broad chronological narrative that captures the full life cycle of border building

The Constructed Mennonite is a unique account of a life shaped by Stalinism, Nazism, migration, famine, and war. It investigates the tenuous spaces where individual experiences inform and become public history; it studies the ways in which memory shapes identity, and reveals how context and audience shape autobiographical narratives.

A “smart and surprising” (Booklist) “expansive history” (Publishers Weekly) detailing the role that wood and trees have played in our global ecosystem—including human evolution and the rise and fall of empires—in the bestselling tradition of Yuval Harari’s Sapiens and Mark...

A woman supervises the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge because the men in charge can’t. A rocket scientist designs a machine powerful enough to carry humans to the Moon. An ironworker builds a tower in Paris that the whole city hates, until it becomes the most visited monument on Earth. Inside Extraordinary Engineers, the latest volume in the bestselling Famous in STEM series, you’ll meet the builders, inventors, and visionaries who turned impossible ideas into the structures, machines, and systems that define the modern world. Discover the engineers who built the future: • ...

The never-before-told inside story of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center — an epic tale of business, politics, and engineering by the man who spent two decades working to make it happen After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 destroyed the World Trade Center, New Yorkers and Americans faced...

A monumental tale of American ambition, told by Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master historian David McCullough. This gripping saga of the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the country’s boldest engineering achievements, reveals not only the politics and personalities behind...

⚓ Dive into the Fascinating World of Maritime Engineering and Innovation! ⚓ Embark on a thrilling adventure through the captivating history and groundbreaking innovations of maritime engineering. From the ancient beginnings of Mesopotamian and Egyptian engineering, to the ingenious inventions of the modern world, "Maritime Engineering and Innovation" is your gateway to the technological advancements that shaped human history, cultivated our understanding of the oceans, and transformed the way we voyage across the seas. Unravel the mysteries of the sea and learn about: The powerful ...

During the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, thousands of workers began work on the Hoover Dam, built in the Black Canyon, which had been cut by the powerful Colorado River. The Colorado River was responsible for the Grand Canyon, and by the 20th century, the idea of damming the river and creating an artificial lake was being explored for all of its potential, including hydroelectric power and irrigation.