100 Best Civil Engineering Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best civil engineering books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
Richard BransonElon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit. (Source)
Casey NeistatI'm fascinated by Elon Musk, I own a Tesla, I read Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon Musk. I think he's a very interesting charachter. (Source)
Roxana BitoleanuA business book I would definitely choose the biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, because of Elon's strong, even extreme ambition to radically change the world, which I find very inspiring. (Source)
In April 1956, a refitted oil tanker carried fifty-eight shipping containers from Newark to Houston. From that modest beginning, container shipping developed into a huge industry that made the boom in global trade possible. "The Box" tells the dramatic story of the container's creation, the decade of struggle before it was widely adopted, and the sweeping economic consequences of the sharp fall in transportation costs that containerization brought about.
Published on the fiftieth anniversary of the first container voyage, this is the first comprehensive history of the shipping... more
Bill GatesI picked this one up after seeing it on a Wall Street Journal list of good books for investors. It was first published in 1954, but it doesn’t feel dated (aside from a few anachronistic examples—it has been a long time since bread cost 5 cents a loaf in the United States). In fact, I’d say it’s more relevant than ever. One chapter shows you how visuals can be used to exaggerate trends and give... (Source)
Tobi LütkeWe all live in Malcolm’s world because the shipping container has been hugely influential in history. (Source)
Jason ZweigThis is a terrific introduction to critical thinking about statistics, for people who haven’t taken a class in statistics. (Source)
"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Now, we are reintroducing the... more
Bill GatesYou don't have to take a course [to learn physics]. If you're hardcore, read the Feynman book and do the problems. (Source)
David BainbridgeI think that he is one of the most intelligent people to live in the 20th century. Yet at the same time, surprisingly, he is an amazingly good teacher. This is quite an unusual combination. (Source)
John KerryI’d start with Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, which looked at how pesticide use was harming, and in some cases killing, animals and humans, and really was the first book of its kind to illustrate this environmental destruction. I’ve been so involved in the environment for years and years and that has been a great guideline – it was really the awakening, if you will, to the environmental movement... (Source)
Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail if not from insurmountable technical problems then from political corruption. (It was the heyday of Boss Tweed in New York.)
But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a...
moreMichael LoppA fascinating read about when bridges were still in beta. (Source)
Brent GlassEven though you know what the ending is, he creates a dramatic sense of just what it took to bring this bridge into being and to complete it. (Source)
We will soon be able to meet and exceed the basic needs of every man, woman and child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp. This bold, contrarian view, backed up by exhaustive research, introduces our near-term future, where exponentially growing technologies and three other powerful forces are conspiring to better the lives of billions. An antidote to pessimism by tech entrepreneur turned philanthropist, Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer... more
Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)
Bill Gates[On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)
Michael DellThe authors of Abundance go so far as to claim that "technology has the potential to significantly raise the basic standards of living for every man, woman, and child on the planet." Before you disagree, read the book. They make a fascinating argument, and make me happier than ever that I ditched my dream of being a doctor to enter the unpredictable world of IT. We live in exciting times. (Source)
In Chernobyl, award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy draws on recently opened archives to recreate these events in all their drama, telling the stories of the scientists, workers, soldiers, and... more
Stephen BushIt’s just a really thrilling book, as well as being a really interesting history of that time. But the reason why I think it’s also a brilliant political book is fundamentally what Plokhii reveals in his writing, is that the failure of Chernobyl was fundamentally a failure of a political system, as well as a failure of a scientific system. (Source)
Kate BrownHe’s really good here at laying down the background of the disaster itself, the plant’s construction, the days leading up to it, the moments the accident occurred. He talks about the accident itself, the delay in informing the public, the censorship of news, the trial of the nuclear power plant operators who he thinks were treated as scapegoats, and the political outcomes of all this deception. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
For more than forty years, the beautifully illustrated Architecture: Form, Space, and Order has served as the classic introduction to the basic vocabulary of architectural design. The updated and revised Fourth Edition features the fundamental elements of space and form and is designed to encourage critical thought in order to promote a more evocative understanding of architecture.
Architecture: Form, Space, and Order distills complex concepts of design... more
FE Civil Practice offers comprehensive practice for the NCEES FE Civil exam. This book is part of an integrated review program designed to help you pass the FE exam the first time.
FE Civil Practice features include:
over 460 three-minute, multiple-choice, exam-like practice... more
Structural Analysis, 10th Edition, presents the theory and applications of structural analysis as it applies to trusses, beams, and frames. Through its reader-friendly, clear organization, the text emphasizes developing the ability to model and analyze a structure in preparation for professional practice. The text is designed to ensure those taking their first course in this subject... more
Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan--in the name of austerity--shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps--but officials rebuffed them, insisting that the water was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city's public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the... more
Lexi AlexanderCongrats Doctor Hanna-Attisha. Well deserved. It’s a great book https://t.co/XgoMjECOOW (Source)
Bill GatesA recapitulation of the history of materials told in an interesting and approachable way. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
For instance, have you ever wondered. . .
How do clouds made up of dense water droplets manage to float in the sky? Why don't your joints squeak as they rub together? Why do you sink in dry sand, but not in wet sand? How does capillary action manage to raise water up a 100 foot tree? Why does warm water... more
Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio is a down-to-earth primer for small-studio enthusiasts who want chart-ready sonics in a hurry. Drawing on the back-room strategies of more than 100 famous names, this entertaining guide leads you step-by-step through the entire mixing process. On the way, you'll unravel the mysteries of every type of mix processing, from simple EQ and compression through to advanced spectral dynamics... more
Carrying little more than a change of clothes and a pair of binoculars, two young Americans, Mark and Delia Owens, caught a plane to Africa, bought a thirdhand Land Rover, and drove deep into the Kalahari Desert. There they lived for seven years, in an unexplored area with no roads, no people, and no source of water for thousands of square miles. In this vast wilderness the Owenses began their zoology research,... more
A focus on fundamentals includes such subjects as Bayesian statistical decision theory, subjective... more
Washington Post "50 Notable Works of Nonfiction"
Science News "Favorite Science Books of 2018"
Booklist "Top Ten Science/Technology Book of 2018"
"A marvelously humor-laced page-turner about the science of semi-aquatic rodents.... A masterpiece of a treatise on the natural world."--The Washington Post... more
FE Review Manual, 3rd Edition
Michael R. Lindeburg PE’s FE Review Manual, 3rd Edition offers complete review for the FE exam. This book is part of comprehensive learning management systems designed to help you pass the FE exam the first time.
Select your discipline below and see... more
From the coauthors of the New York Times bestseller Abundance comes their much anticipated follow-up: Bold—a radical, how-to guide for using exponential technologies, moonshot thinking, and crowd-powered tools to create extraordinary wealth while also positively impacting the lives of billions.
Bold unfolds in three parts. Part One focuses on the exponential technologies that are disrupting today’s Fortune 500... more
Eric SchmidtAbundance showed us where our world can be in 20 years. BOLD is a roadmap for entrepreneurs to help us get there. (Source)
Bill ClintonBold is a visionary roadmap for people who believe they can change the world---and offers invaluable advice about bringing together the partners and technologies to help them do it. (Source)
Michael DellI loved Peter Diamandis’ and Steven Kotler’s book Abundance, their writing and their Vision. BOLD is an amazing sequel, a book that every entrepreneur should read. It is inspiring, filled with incredible insights and offers a practical how-to game plan for going big and impacting the world. (Source)
Comprehensive Practice for the Computer-Based FE Civil Exam
FE Civil Practice Problems contains 466 problems designed to reinforce your knowledge of important civil engineering topics. Short, three-minute, multiple-choice problems illustrate the type and length of problem you’ll encounter on the FE Civil exam.
Solutions proceed logically and are clear, complete, and easy to follow. Calculations use... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
This is the 4th edition of a self-published book that no respectable publisher would touch with a ten-foot shovel. The 1st edition was published in 1994 with a print run of 600 copies, which the author expected to watch decompose in his garage for the rest of his life. Now, 24 years later, the book has sold over 65,000 print copies in the U.S. alone, been translated in whole or in part into 19 languages and been published in foreign editions on four continents.
The previous editions won numerous awards,... more
Imagine a blackout lasting not days, but weeks or months. Tens of millions of people over several states are affected. For those without access to a generator, there is no running water, no sewage, no refrigeration or light. Food and medical supplies are dwindling. Devices we rely on have gone dark. Banks no longer function,... more
With easy- to- follow maps and appendices of the best swimming holes and day trips, New England... more
This full-color book covers more than 100 architects, designers, and engineers in detail, including blueprints of their work, biographical information, and insights into the particular... more
"Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1, 3rd Edition" is the best-selling, award-winning guide on how to conceptualize, design, and implement life-enhancing water-, sun-, wind-, and shade-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. This book enables you to assess your on-site resources, gives you a diverse array of strategies to maximize their potential, and empowers you with guiding principles to create an integrated, multi-functional plan specific to your site and needs.
Clearly written with... more
Come face to face with our vanishing wildlife. Using unique Photicular technology, Wild brings to vivid life the animals who are under threat of extinction. It turns abstract numbers and names into touching and unforgettable images.
From the cover panda, lazily munching on leaves, to an albatross swooping its magnificent wings, to the hovering bumblebee, among the... more
PE Civil Practice Problems contains over 900 problems designed to reinforce your knowledge of the topics presented in the PE Civil Reference Manual. Short, six-minute, multiple-choice problems follow the NCEES PE Civil exam problem format and focus on individual engineering concepts. Longer, more complex problems... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Marina HydeI’ll start with An Empire of Their Own, because it’s just so difficult for us to understand what Hollywood was like then, particularly for these guys who were either first generation, or immigrant German, or East European Jews, who’d come largely from running things like nickelodeon outfits on the East Coast, and ended up creating this extraordinary confection out in California. Bearing in mind... (Source)
Harry Pfanz, a former historian at Gettysburg National Military Park, has written a definitive account of the second day's brutal combat. He begins by introducing the men and units that were to do battle, analyzing the strategic intentions of Lee and Meade as commanders of the opposing armies, and describing the... more
Michael R. Lindeburg PE’s FE Civil Review offers complete review of all knowledge areas for the FE Civil exam.
Features of FE Civil Review include:
complete coverage of all exam knowledge areas
equations, figures, and tables for version 9.4 of the NCEES FE Reference... more
Growth has been both an unspoken and an explicit aim of our individual and collective striving. It governs the lives of microorganisms and galaxies; it shapes the capabilities of our extraordinarily large brains and the fortunes of our economies. Growth is manifested in annual increments of continental crust, a rising gross domestic product, a child's growth chart, the spread of cancerous cells. In this magisterial book, Vaclav Smil offers... more
Bill GatesThe newest of 39 brilliant books by one of my favorite thinkers. (Source)
Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, fifth edition, is a comprehensive introduction to the features and tools of ArcGIS Desktop. Through hands-on exercises, readers will discover, use, make, and share maps with meaningful content. They will also learn how to build geodatabases, query data, analyze geospatial data, and more. The latest edition has been updated to the most current version of ArcGIS Desktop 10.6. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop is suited for classroom use, independent study, and as... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
FE Mechanical Practice Problems offers comprehensive practice for the NCEES FE Electrical and Computer exam.
Exam Topics Covered
Computational Tools
Dynamics, Kinematics, and Vibrations
Electricity and Magnetism
Engineering Economics
Ethics and Professional Practice more
As the most comprehensive reference and study guide available for engineers preparing for the morning and afternoon topics on the Civil PE exam, the 11th edition of the Civil Engineering Reference Manual provides a concentrated review of the exam topics. No other exam-focused publication is more complete.
The Most Trusted Reference for the Civil PE Exam is also the Most Up-To-Date
A complete... more
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The dream scenario could bring huge public and private benefits, including more transportation choices, greater affordability and accessibility, and healthier, more livable cities, along with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The nightmare scenario could bring more urban sprawl, energy... more
Over time, with industrialization and urban sprawl, we have driven nature out of our neighborhoods and cities. But we can invite it back by designing landscapes that look and function more like they do in the wild: robust, diverse, and visually harmonious. Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is an inspiring call to action dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can flourish in our cities and suburbs.... more
Alongside Maclean’s... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
In Secondhand, journalist Adam Minter takes us on an unexpected adventure into the often-hidden, multibillion-dollar industry of reuse: thrift stores in the American Southwest to vintage shops in Tokyo, flea markets in Southeast Asia to... more
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What should I wear? It's one of the fundamental questions we ask ourselves every day. More than ever, we are told it should be something new. Today, the clothing industry churns out 80 billion garments a year and employs every sixth person on Earth. Historically, the apparel trade has exploited labor, the environment, and intellectual property--and in the last three decades, with the simultaneous unfurling of fast fashion,... more
Bill GatesThis book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: 'Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating. (Source)
Save freshwater by irrigating with washwater
Relieve strain on your septic tank
Purify wastewater without energy or chemicals
Increase your water security
Make your home more resilient to drought, flood, and climate change
Other topics include: why to use or not use grey water, health guidelines, grey water sources, irrigation requirements, seventeen system examples and selection chart, biocompatible cleaners, grey water plumbing principles and components, maintenance and troubleshooting, freezing, rain, preserving soil... more
How to find your way with... more
Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s PE Civil Reference Manual, 16th Edition (Also known as CERM16) is the only reference you need to prepare for the Breadth portion of the PE Civil exam. This comprehensive manual follows NCEES PE Civil exam specifications and addresses complex topics by parsing them into condensed, understandable, readable sections. Offering a complete review of all exam topics, this reference manual is up-to-date to the current exam specifications and design standards, and employs instructional design to... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Get Peak Performance from Two-Stroke Engines
Do you spend more time trying to start your weed trimmer than you do enjoying your backyard? With this how-to guide, you can win the battle with the temperamental two-stroke engine.
Written by long-time mechanic and bestselling author Paul Dempsey, Two-Stroke Engine Repair &... more
- building components
- services
- heating
- lighting
- thermal and sound insulation
- fire... more
-- "New York Times Book Review" less
Beginning with the simplest of machines — the lever — the text proceeds to discussions of the block and tackle (pulleys and hoists), wheel and axle, the inclined plane and the wedge, the screw, and different types of gears (simple, spur, bevel, herringbone, spiral, worm,... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Each chapter covers a major construction division, such as concrete, masonry and carpentry -- and uses plans, details and tables to illustrate plan reading and takeoff procedures. A checklist for each material division helps ensure that nothing is left out of your takeoff.
Includes a complete set of residential plans from Home... more
Humans can survive up to three weeks without food, but only around three days without water! Of all the resources needed after a catastrophe strikes—food, heat, electricity, communication, transportation—none are as important as simple water. While a substantial supply should be stored, water's size and weight make storage impractical for long-term survival. Therefore it's equally critical to know how to acquire and purify additional water supplies over time. This... more
The Civil Engineering Handbook, Second Edition is more comprehensive than ever. You'll find new, updated, and expanded coverage in every section. In fact, more than 1/3 of the handbook is new or... more
An experienced civil engineer presents the physics and fundamentals underlying the many fields of engineering. Far from a dry, nuts-and-bolts exposition, 101 Things I Learned(R) in Engineering School uses real-world examples to show how the engineer's way of thinking can illuminate questions from the simple to the profound: Why shouldn't... more
Want to be a firefighter? Do you know what is involved in taking the exam? Don't take a chance at failing a test you could ace--learn from the expert, Norman Hall.
For more than a decade, Norman Hall's Firefighter Exam Preparation Book has been the #1 test preparation book for prospective firefighters. Back by popular demand, Norman Hall has completely updated and revised this hugely successful book for this second edition, presenting new tips and time-tested methods for attaining the highest... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Included are tips for how to deal with general contractors and a review of common types of off-the-grid home construction (standard, straw
bale, logs, and green cinder block) that highlights energy efficiency and insulation. All the basics are thoroughly covered, such as well water, septic and sewage disposal, and off-the-grid... more
Said to... more
Fire in Paradise is a dramatic and moving narrative of the disaster... more
FULLY UPDATED FOR THE LATEST ELECTRICAL CODES AND STANDARDSFor a century, the American Electricians' Handbook has served as the definitive industry reference for information on designing, installing, operating, and maintaining electrical systems and equipment. The Sixteenth Edition is revised to complywith the 2011 National Electrical Code and the 2012 National Electrical Safety Code, and covers... more
Don't have time to read the top Civil Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.