Product Description: Behind every great American civil engineering accomplishment, there is a great American civil engineer. Throughout history civil engineers have made an enormous impact on the progress and development of this nation. While their engineering achievements are regularly recognized, the engineers themselves are rarely discussed. Engineering Legends provides a unique view into the history and progress of 32 great American civil engineers, from the 1700's to the present. It explores the personal lives and professional accomplishments of these outstanding engineers, providing an in-depth look at the people behind these achievements. The book also illustrates the diversity surrounding these engineers, such as their differing backgrounds, their reasons for becoming engineers, obstacles they faced, and their work in different disciplines of civil engineering. As Henry Petroski writes in the foreword, "Rich Weingardt has done the engineering profession a great service in writing and collecting these essays into a book that cannot help but inspire engineers, future engineers, and all who benefit (and will continue to benefit) from their work. Engineering Legends is a book that has something for everyone."
Wonderful Treatise on a Long-Neglected Subject Mr. Weingardt is a rare commodity in our modern age: A civil (strucural) engineer with a broad world-view, a compelling grasp of history and the ability to set it all down in print.
There was a time, not so many years ago, when "the great engineers of our time" were people like those profiled in this book. In fact, so enamoured were we of our civil engineers that we even elected one President--Mr. Hoover.
I think that we have The Discovery Channel's recent interest in the history of civil and structural engineering to thank for the advent of this fine work. Let us hope that Mr. Weingardt--whose monthly column may be found in the pages of Strucural Engineer magazine (http://www.gostructural.com)--quickly follows this up with more.
Though I would favor the "coffee table" format in future!
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