Building Big

by David Macaulay

Book Overview

Why this shape and not that? Why steel instead of concrete or stone? Why put it here and not over there? These are the kinds of questions that David Macaulay asks himself when he observes an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395963311
• ISBN13: 9780395963319
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.5" x 11.2"
• Grade Range: Preschool and higher

Customer Reviews

Building Big does a great job explaining civil engineering concept!

This book is outstanding! It's informative, yet easy to read. I have used it as the textbook for my high school engineering class for two years, and the students love it!

Great Book

I bought this book for my 6 year old son who is an avid builder. I knew that the text would be above his head, so I read the book before giving it to him so I could summarize the paragraphs for him. He asks to look at this book every night and loves it. This is not a picture book as it has a lot of text, but the pictures are well done, and he has gained some basic building concepts that he uses with his Legos and blocks. He likes to look at the book about how they build a structure (he is really fascinated by the Hoover dam and Petronas Towers) and they we look online at the completed pictures. It's a great book for older children (or if you want to take the time with a younger child to explain it) and I recommend it.

A BIG success

David Macaulay takes the reader on a tour of some of the really big civil engineering structures of our time. Building Big has sections on Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Domes, and Skyscrapers. Each part of the book describes the design and construction of from four to ten outstanding examples of the structure highlighted. The examples in each category are described in chronological order with some going back to the time of ancient Rome. The drawings that accompany the text are excellent at focusing on the details and techniques described. The integration of text and graphics is wonderful. In each case, Macaulay describes the design objectives, the interplay between the structure and the environment, and the engineering solutions used to bring the structures into being. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in structural engineering and design. I have not seen the related PBS video series, but I can say that the book stands on its own very well. Highly recommended.

Awesome

Macaulay fans are going to be amazed and impressed by this, his best book yet. It's a companion to the PBS series that's better than the films! A must see and better yet, must buy.

Brilliance and accessibility

Once again, David Macaulay provides artistry and specialized knowledge in a medium that readers of all ages can appreciate. He explains complicated architectural structures with striking clarity, and his illustrations perfectly complement his engaging narrative tone. Macaulay joins fact and story beautifully -- rather than "lobotomized Sendak," I see conversational Da Vinci.