Catastrophe!: Great Engineering Failure-And Success (Scientific American Mysteries of Science) [Hardcover]

Fred Bortz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Scientific American Mysteries of Science | Publication Date: April 1995

Why do buildings and bridges fall down? Why do so many planes crash? What makes the lights go out in millions of homes during a blackout? Why can nuclear energy be so dangerous? What made the space shuttle Challenger explode? This book provides the answers. Other examples covered include: the collapse of a walkway suspended several floors above a hotel-lobby; an airplane crash into a mountainside; and a nuclear-power-plant accident. In each instance, the author asks what engineers can learn from the catastrophe and how they can prevent it happening again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9?Bortz considers six spectacular engineering debacles?the collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt skywalks in 1980 and of "Galloping Gertie," the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, in 1940; the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 in Florida in 1972; the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986; nuclear power-plant accidents (Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl); and "The Great Northeast Blackout" of 1965. In the introduction, the author establishes what these catastrophes have in common?human neglect to attend to what Murphy's Law really means: "If you want things to go right, pay attention to everything that can go wrong." He covers what happened, the reasons, and the successes possible as scientists and engineers have studied and learned from these mistakes. The lively text and the high-quality black-and-white photographs vividly set the scene and report the details. The clear explanations of the science behind each event is enhanced by diagrams. This fascinating, thought-provoking book on the role of failure in successful design reads like an adventure story from the first to the last page.?Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. Beginning with the origin, meaning, and usefulness of Murphy's law, Bortz looks at events involving a skywalk at a Kansas City hotel, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, DC-10 airplanes, the space shuttle Challenger, nuclear power plants, and the northeastern U.S. power grid. Throughout the book, Bortz focuses on the avoidance of problems through anticipation of unusual situations. Attractive to browsers, the book offers engineering information in a readable text, illustrated with black-and-white photographs and diagrams. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: W H Freeman & Co (Sd) (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716765381
• ISBN-13: 978-0716765387
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,298,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love sharing science with young readers, and I use my books and website to do that. I also visit schools whenever I can. Sometimes I give a talk called "Our Next Planet," and invite my audience to travel with me to other worlds. I'm also developing a talk called "The Truth About Space Aliens." It's based on my new book about the "Cool Science" of Astrobiology.

My website, "Dr. Fred's Place," has sections called "Ask Dr. Fred," where you can discover some of my favorite questions. It also has pages about all my books, with updates and links for several of them. I have a special section about "Beyond Jupiter: The Story of Planetary Astronomer Heidi Hammel." That section includes the story of my trip to a major telescope on Hawaii's highest mountain with Heidi. It also includes her frequently asked questions about astronomy.

After you visit "Dr. Fred's Place," you will understand why I say that science is not about answers but rather about questions and the way we follow them to discoveries. Discover my books, follow your questions, and share in wonderful adventures.