Introduction to Internal Combustion Engines

Good comprehensive book, yet easy for a non Engineer. Pretty updated, it covers most of the information required by Engine enthusiasts. Personally, I would recommend to have a copy as a reference to the subject.

I was looking for a book that would start at near-zero to introduce me to internal combustion engines and how they work. I had always heard things like, "2 stroke engines produce almost twice as much power as a comparable displacement 4 stroke". I know that engines typically had exhaust and intake valves and some sort of piston inside a cylinder. But how these things all worked, I really didn't understand, other than a flammable charge ignited somewhere near the top of a piston stroke driving a piston down, resulting in a circular motion. This book took me beyond my level of understanding before I even finished the introduction. Yet, it was easy enough to understand that I was able to read it and comprehend, though I'm not an engineer or engineering student. For those interested in the "why" and "wherefore" of an internal combustion engine, I think this book is excellent. It provides complete, detailed information on the theoretical operation of the IC engine, without teaching at either too high or too low a level. I think after reading this book, it would be possible for a mechanically inclined person with access to the right tools to design their own simple IC engine. For my purposes, this was the right book to get.

A logically set out explanation of the workings of IC engines. Fills the gap between books aimed at auto engineers (mechanics) and academics of thermodynamics. IE. a MUST for bright (or bright-ish) students. Quality.