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The Perfectionists
by Simon Winchester • 2018
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
4.15
7k+
The Perfectionists Summary
The Perfectionists 89%
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
by Simon Winchester 2018
4.15
7k+ ratings
How to Invent Everything
by Ryan North • 2018
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
4.14
6k+
How to Invent Everything Summary
How to Invent Everything 89%
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
by Ryan North 2018
4.14
6k+ ratings
My Inventions
by Nikola Tesla • 1935
Tesla's mind was his lab, his curse, and the only place his machines ever ran perfectly.
3.91
13k+
My Inventions Summary
My Inventions 88%
Tesla's mind was his lab, his curse, and the only place his machines ever ran perfectly.
by Nikola Tesla 1935
3.91
13k+ ratings
The Things We Make
by Bill Hammack • 2023
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
3.75
1k+
The Things We Make Summary
The Things We Make 88%
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
by Bill Hammack 2023
3.75
1k+ ratings
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story
by William Elliott azelgrove • 2018
Wilbur Wright solved flight alone. Orville Wright spent decades burying that fact.
3.66
130
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story Summary
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story 88%
Wilbur Wright solved flight alone. Orville Wright spent decades burying that fact.
by William Elliott azelgrove 2018
3.66
130 ratings
The Nature of Technology
by W. Brian Arthur • 2009
Technology is nature harnessed, then endlessly recombined. Each invention fuels the next.
3.95
858
The Nature of Technology Summary
The Nature of Technology 88%
Technology is nature harnessed, then endlessly recombined. Each invention fuels the next.
by W. Brian Arthur 2009
3.95
858 ratings
Engineering Mechanics
by Russell C. Hibbeler • 1992
From particles to rigid bodies: a methodical path through statics, dynamics, and vibrations.
4.06
205
Engineering Mechanics Summary
Engineering Mechanics 88%
From particles to rigid bodies: a methodical path through statics, dynamics, and vibrations.
by Russell C. Hibbeler 1992
4.06
205 ratings
The Diamond Age
by Neal Stephenson • 1995
A stolen, sentient primer teaches a poor girl to read, then to lead an army.
4.16
94k+
The Diamond Age Summary
The Diamond Age 88%
A stolen, sentient primer teaches a poor girl to read, then to lead an army.
by Neal Stephenson 1995
4.16
94k+ ratings
Car Science
by Richard Hammond • 2008
From chemical explosions to downforce: the physics that makes cars go, stop, and nearly take flight.
4.44
144
Car Science Summary
Car Science 88%
From chemical explosions to downforce: the physics that makes cars go, stop, and nearly take flight.
by Richard Hammond 2008
4.44
144 ratings
Tesla
by W. Bernard Carlson • 2013
The same mental discipline that electrified the world also led Nikola Tesla to ruin.
3.87
2k+
Tesla Summary
Tesla 88%
The same mental discipline that electrified the world also led Nikola Tesla to ruin.
by W. Bernard Carlson 2013
3.87
2k+ ratings
Tesla
by Margaret Cheney • 1981
How the inventor of the twentieth century wound up alone with a white pigeon.
3.71
7k+
Tesla Summary
Tesla 88%
How the inventor of the twentieth century wound up alone with a white pigeon.
by Margaret Cheney 1981
3.71
7k+ ratings
The Idea Factory
by Jon Gertner • 2012
A phone monopoly's lab produced the transistor, the laser, and the digital age. How it worked.
4.21
9k+
The Idea Factory Summary
The Idea Factory 88%
A phone monopoly's lab produced the transistor, the laser, and the digital age. How it worked.
by Jon Gertner 2012
4.21
9k+ ratings
Wizard
by Marc J. Seifer • 1996
Electrified the world, outsmarted by rivals, bankrupted by a giant tower: the Nikola Tesla story.
3.73
7k+
Wizard Summary
Wizard 88%
Electrified the world, outsmarted by rivals, bankrupted by a giant tower: the Nikola Tesla story.
by Marc J. Seifer 1996
3.73
7k+ ratings
The Evolution of Useful Things
by Henry Petroski • 1994
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
3.52
1k+
The Evolution of Useful Things Summary
The Evolution of Useful Things 88%
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
by Henry Petroski 1994
3.52
1k+ ratings
The Light Ages
by Seb Falk • 2020
Eclipse math, precision clocks, a six-foot computer: the medieval laboratory inside the monastery.
3.67
2k+
The Light Ages Summary
The Light Ages 87%
Eclipse math, precision clocks, a six-foot computer: the medieval laboratory inside the monastery.
by Seb Falk 2020
3.67
2k+ ratings
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson • 2014
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
4.12
16k+
How We Got to Now Summary
How We Got to Now 87%
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
by Steven Johnson 2014
4.12
16k+ ratings
Invention by Design; How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing
by Petroski • 1996
Paper clips, fax machines, bridges: what their shortcomings reveal about the logic of engineering.
3.75
351
Invention by Design; How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing Summary
Invention by Design; How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing 87%
Paper clips, fax machines, bridges: what their shortcomings reveal about the logic of engineering.
by Petroski 1996
3.75
351 ratings
The Pencil
by Henry Petroski • 1992
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
3.80
657
The Pencil Summary
The Pencil 87%
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
by Henry Petroski 1992
3.80
657 ratings
Vector
by Robyn Arianrhod • 2024
Your GPS and AI depend on a 19th-century algebra that broke the rules of arithmetic.
4.05
163
Vector Summary
Vector 87%
Your GPS and AI depend on a 19th-century algebra that broke the rules of arithmetic.
by Robyn Arianrhod 2024
4.05
163 ratings
Maintenance of Everything
by Stewart Brand • 2026
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
4.00
516
Maintenance of Everything Summary
Maintenance of Everything 87%
Civilization runs on maintenance nobody sees, values, or funds. Until it stops.
by Stewart Brand 2026
4.00
516 ratings
The Essential Engineer
by Henry Petroski • 2010
Science explains; engineering creates. When we confuse the two, our biggest problems get harder.
3.37
270
The Essential Engineer Summary
The Essential Engineer 87%
Science explains; engineering creates. When we confuse the two, our biggest problems get harder.
by Henry Petroski 2010
3.37
270 ratings
Creativity Code
by Marcus du Sautoy • 2019
AI paints, composes, writes. But can a machine truly be creative? A mathematician investigates.
3.94
2k+
Creativity Code Summary
Creativity Code 87%
AI paints, composes, writes. But can a machine truly be creative? A mathematician investigates.
by Marcus du Sautoy 2019
3.94
2k+ ratings
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba • 2009
A Malawian dropout, a library book on energy, and a windmill built from scrap metal.
4.24
12k+
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Summary
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind 87%
A Malawian dropout, a library book on energy, and a windmill built from scrap metal.
by William Kamkwamba 2009
4.24
12k+ ratings
TRIZ For Dummies
by Lilly Haines-Gadd • 2016
Turn impossible trade-offs into breakthroughs. A patent-proven method for systematic innovation.
4.07
54
TRIZ For Dummies Summary
TRIZ For Dummies 87%
Turn impossible trade-offs into breakthroughs. A patent-proven method for systematic innovation.
by Lilly Haines-Gadd 2016
4.07
54 ratings
The Alchemy of Us
by Ainissa Ramirez • 2020
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
3.90
1k+
The Alchemy of Us Summary
The Alchemy of Us 87%
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
by Ainissa Ramirez 2020
3.90
1k+ ratings
Brunelleschi's Dome
by Ross King • 1999
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
3.91
28k+
Brunelleschi's Dome Summary
Brunelleschi's Dome 87%
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
by Ross King 1999
3.91
28k+ ratings
Longitude
by Dava Sobel • 1995
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
3.99
76k+
Longitude Summary
Longitude 87%
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
by Dava Sobel 1995
3.99
76k+ ratings
ColdFusion Presents
by Dagogo Altraide • 2019
From steam to AI: the chain of breakthroughs that built the modern world, every link essential.
4.17
780
ColdFusion Presents Summary
ColdFusion Presents 87%
From steam to AI: the chain of breakthroughs that built the modern world, every link essential.
by Dagogo Altraide 2019
4.17
780 ratings
Gods and Robots
by Adrienne Mayor • 2018
Ancient Greeks imagined robots, AI, and the ethics we still wrestle with, long before the tech.
3.73
718
Gods and Robots Summary
Gods and Robots 87%
Ancient Greeks imagined robots, AI, and the ethics we still wrestle with, long before the tech.
by Adrienne Mayor 2018
3.73
718 ratings
I, Robot
by Isaac Asimov • 1950
Robots built to protect humanity keep finding fatal logic gaps: a robopsychologist's casebook.
4.21
382k+
I, Robot Summary
I, Robot 87%
Robots built to protect humanity keep finding fatal logic gaps: a robopsychologist's casebook.
by Isaac Asimov 1950
4.21
382k+ ratings
Small Things Considered
by Henry Petroski • 2003
Why nothing works perfectly: the constraints hiding inside every object you use.
3.40
334
Small Things Considered Summary
Small Things Considered 87%
Why nothing works perfectly: the constraints hiding inside every object you use.
by Henry Petroski 2003
3.40
334 ratings
How Innovation Works
by Matt Ridley • 2020
Not lone geniuses but slow, collective tinkering, freedom, and accident drive real innovation.
4.11
4k+
How Innovation Works Summary
How Innovation Works 87%
Not lone geniuses but slow, collective tinkering, freedom, and accident drive real innovation.
by Matt Ridley 2020
4.11
4k+ ratings
The Standard Electrical Dictionary A Popular Dictionary of Words and Terms Used in the Practice of Electrical Engineering
by T. O'Conor Sloane • 2009
An electrical engineering dictionary from the year the ether was real and the electron unknown.
3.08
137
The Standard Electrical Dictionary A Popular Dictionary of Words and Terms Used in the Practice of Electrical Engineering Summary
The Standard Electrical Dictionary A Popular Dictionary of Words and Terms Used in the Practice of Electrical Engineering 87%
An electrical engineering dictionary from the year the ether was real and the electron unknown.
by T. O'Conor Sloane 2009
3.08
137 ratings
The Wright Brothers
by David McCullough • 2015
No college, no funding, a bicycle shop: two brothers who beat the world to powered flight.
4.18
100k+
The Wright Brothers Summary
The Wright Brothers 87%
No college, no funding, a bicycle shop: two brothers who beat the world to powered flight.
by David McCullough 2015
4.18
100k+ ratings
How Technology Works
by D.K. Publishing • 2019
A visual tour of the physics inside your phone, your microwave, and the power grid.
4.33
166
How Technology Works Summary
How Technology Works 87%
A visual tour of the physics inside your phone, your microwave, and the power grid.
by D.K. Publishing 2019
4.33
166 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 87%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned
by Kenneth O. Stanley • 2015
Ambitious objectives blind you to the very discoveries that make them obsolete.
3.98
1k+
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned Summary
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned 87%
Ambitious objectives blind you to the very discoveries that make them obsolete.
by Kenneth O. Stanley 2015
3.98
1k+ ratings
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon
by Steve Wozniak • 2006
Phone-hacking pranks, the Apple I, and the engineer who left his own revolution to teach.
3.85
18k+
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon Summary
iWoz - Computer Geek to Cult Icon 87%
Phone-hacking pranks, the Apple I, and the engineer who left his own revolution to teach.
by Steve Wozniak 2006
3.85
18k+ ratings
Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 87%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
Decoding the Heavens
by Jo Marchant • 2009
Sponge divers pulled a 2,000-year-old computer from the sea. Decoding its gears took a century.
4.10
566
Decoding the Heavens Summary
Decoding the Heavens 87%
Sponge divers pulled a 2,000-year-old computer from the sea. Decoding its gears took a century.
by Jo Marchant 2009
4.10
566 ratings
The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
by Richard W. Hamming • 1996
What separates great scientists from good ones: they pick better problems.
4.18
2k+
The Art of Doing Science and Engineering Summary
The Art of Doing Science and Engineering 87%
What separates great scientists from good ones: they pick better problems.
by Richard W. Hamming 1996
4.18
2k+ ratings
Against Intellectual Monopoly
by Michele Boldrin • 2008
Patents and copyrights were meant to fuel invention. The evidence shows they mostly slow it down.
4.02
395
Against Intellectual Monopoly Summary
Against Intellectual Monopoly 87%
Patents and copyrights were meant to fuel invention. The evidence shows they mostly slow it down.
by Michele Boldrin 2008
4.02
395 ratings
The Innovators
by Walter Isaacson • 2011
Collaboration, not solitary genius, built the computer. The human story of the digital revolution.
4.12
40k+
The Innovators Summary
The Innovators 87%
Collaboration, not solitary genius, built the computer. The human story of the digital revolution.
by Walter Isaacson 2011
4.12
40k+ ratings
Structures
by J.E. Gordon • 1978
The hidden physics that keeps the world standing, and the surprising ways everything still breaks.
4.14
4k+
Structures Summary
Structures 87%
The hidden physics that keeps the world standing, and the surprising ways everything still breaks.
by J.E. Gordon 1978
4.14
4k+ ratings
Wings of Fire
by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam • 1999
A boatman's son made India a missile power. The leadership lessons that built it from nothing.
4.29
55k+
Wings of Fire Summary
Wings of Fire 87%
A boatman's son made India a missile power. The leadership lessons that built it from nothing.
by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 1999
4.29
55k+ ratings
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
by Richard P. Feynman • 1985
Safe-cracking, bongos, and a fatal O-ring: a Nobel laureate's life of fearless curiosity.
4.26
219k+
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" Summary
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" 87%
Safe-cracking, bongos, and a fatal O-ring: a Nobel laureate's life of fearless curiosity.
by Richard P. Feynman 1985
4.26
219k+ ratings
How to Dunk a Doughnut
by Len Fisher • 2002
A physicist unpacks the hidden forces inside a doughnut dunk, a boiled egg, and a boomerang.
3.34
277
How to Dunk a Doughnut Summary
How to Dunk a Doughnut 87%
A physicist unpacks the hidden forces inside a doughnut dunk, a boiled egg, and a boomerang.
by Len Fisher 2002
3.34
277 ratings
Skunk Works
by Ben R. Rich • 1994
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
4.46
17k+
Skunk Works Summary
Skunk Works 87%
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
by Ben R. Rich 1994
4.46
17k+ ratings
Artificial Intelligence
by Margaret A. Boden • 2018
What AI can do, what it can't, and why the difference is philosophy more than code.
3.29
388
Artificial Intelligence Summary
Artificial Intelligence 87%
What AI can do, what it can't, and why the difference is philosophy more than code.
by Margaret A. Boden 2018
3.29
388 ratings
Reentry
by Eric Berger • 2024
Explosions, sleeping on the factory floor, and NASA skeptics: the real price of reusable rockets.
4.47
2k+
Reentry Summary
Reentry 87%
Explosions, sleeping on the factory floor, and NASA skeptics: the real price of reusable rockets.
by Eric Berger 2024
4.47
2k+ ratings
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