Bridges: From My Side to Yours

The author's approach to bridges is descriptive, easy to read, and gorgeously illustrated. The book includes lush illustrations and diagrams on every page. I particularly liked the later chapters on failure as a tool (Firth of Forth bridge), and the big spans (Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges). Adkins discusses social forces as well as physical forces acting on bridge design and construction, in an engaging manner. I plan to use parts of this book in my high school engineering design class as background reading on bridge design. Chapters: Stone and Wood After the Caesars Figuring Forces Iron and Steel The Big Spans Compression and Tension Glossary

Kids ages 9-13 years will find this accessible and inviting: a coverage of bridges around the world, with a healthy degree of simple engineering basics added to make the history appealing. The lively text and black and white drawings do a fine job of explaining differences between bridge construction and different builder achievements.