Description
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2023 Royal Society Science Book Prize
A structural engineer examines the seven most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world.
Trade Review"A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world." -- Roman Mars, creator and host, 99% Invisible podcast
"Charming." -- Sam Kean - Wall Street Journal
"Agrawal is telling a story not just about great inventions but also about the societies that make and use them and the people who are affected by them.... [
Nuts & Bolts] offers a robust history that should speak to scientists’ and engineers’ sense of social awareness." -- Adam R. Shapiro - Science
"Delightful.... [T]here is an endless fascination in everyday objects such as springs, wheels and nails, from the physics behind them to simple practical tips.... [W]hile it is the enchantingly sophisticated technologies that get all the hype, it’s the cheap technologies that change the world." -- Tim Harford - Financial Times
"A wonderful book that explores the creative and inventive human impulses expressed through engineering…A fascinating tour that brings to life the springs, ratchets, and fibres that make up the machines of our modern age." -- Mark Miodownik, materials scientist, engineer, and author of Stuff Matters
"There is passion for engineering on every single page…Roma Agrawal has a special skill of reawakening that part of us that simply wants to understand how the built world works, and to dream of creating our own machines." -- Angela Saini, author of Inferior
"A masterclass in storytelling…Agrawal is the perfect narrator: her curiosity, technical knowledge, and excitement fill every page. It left me inspired by the ingenuity of historic engineers and optimistic for future innovation." -- Jess Wade, physicist and author of Nano
"Fascinating stories behind the humble devices that make our human world work, told with an engineer’s infectious excitement and enthusiasm for detail." -- Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century
"Inside this wonderfully engaging book is a profound message: that so much of technology comes from ingenious reiterations of just a few innovations in engineering…Roma Agrawal brings these inventions vividly to life." -- Philip Ball, author of The Book of Minds
"Essential reading for budding engineers, young and old." -- Anna Ploszajski, materials scientist, engineer, and author of Handmade
"A quirky, entertaining riff on the building blocks of engineering." -- Kirkus Reviews
