Audiobook Inventors at Work, with Chapters on Discovery

The author examines the fundamental principles that govern technological progress, focusing on form, size, and the properties of matter. The argument begins with structural form, demonstrating how the hidden geometry of the joist gave rise to efficient girders, bridges, and cantilever spans. It details how minimum resistance is achieved in ship design through model testing, and traces similar principles in tools, machinery, and architecture. The text then explores the governing laws of size, explaining why scale alters the strength-to-weight ratio and why bigness alters the behavior of structures, machinery, and natural phenomena. Finally, the narrative surveys material properties, detailing how chemical composition, heat treatment, and precise alloys have yielded new metals and processes that continually expand the boundaries of engineering and invention.