Includes Index

1.The new science of strong materials - or how to ask awkward questions
Part One. Elasticity and the theory of strength
2.Stresses and strains - or why you don't fall through the floor 3.Cohesion-or how strong ought materials to be?
4.Cracks and dislocations - or why things are weak
Part Two. The non-metallic tradition
5.Crack-stopping- or how to be tough
6.Timber and cellulose- or Wooden ships and Iron men
7.Glue and plywood - or mice in the gliders
8.Composite materials - or how to make bricks with straw pt. Three The metallic tradition
9.Ductility in metals - or the intimate life of the dislocation
10.Iron and steel - Hephaistos among the Satanic Mills
11.The materials of the future -or how to have second thoughts
Appendix 1 On the various kinds of solids - and what about treacle? Note on Conversion of Units
Appendix 2 Simple beam formulae -or do your own stressing Suggestions for further study.

J. E. Gordon’s classic introduction to the properties of materials used in engineering answers some fascinating and fundamental questions about how the structural world around us works. Gordon focuses on so-called strong materials—such as metals, wood, ceramics, glass, and bone—explaining in engaging and accessible terms the unique physical and chemical basis for their inherent structural qualities. He also shows how an in-depth understanding of these materials’ intrinsic strengths—and weaknesses—guides our engineering choices, allowing us to build the structures that support our society. This work is an enduring example of first-rate scientific communication. Philip Ball’s introduction describes Gordon’s career and the impact of his innovations in materials research, while also discussing how the field has evolved since Gordon wrote this enduring example of first-rate scientific communication.