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Bill Hammack
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Eight Amazing Engineering Stories: Using the Elements to Create Extraordinary Technologies

by Bill Hammack (Author), Patrick Ryan (Author), Nick Ziech (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 273 ratings
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Eight Amazing Engineering Stories reveals the stories behind how engineers use specific elements to create the material world around us. In eight chapters, the EngineerGuy team exposes the magnificence of the innovation and engineering of digital camera imagers, tiny accelerometers, atomic clocks, enriched uranium, batteries, microwave ovens, lasers, and anodized metals. In addition, short primers cover the scientific principles underlying the engineering, including waves, nuclear structure, and electronic transitions. "In Depth" sections cover entropy, semiconductors, and the mathematics of capacitors. Eight Amazing Engineering Stories forms the basis of the fourth series of EngineerGuy videos found on-line.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0983966133
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0983966135
  3. Publication date
    April 7, 2012
  4. Language
    English
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.54 x 9 inches
  6. Print length
    216 pages
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Make magazine's blog called the EngineerGuy video team "brilliant science and technology documentarian[s]", whose "videos should be held up as models of how to present complex technical information visually." Wired called the videos "dazzling." The team, consisting of Bill Hammack Patrick Ryan, & Nick Ziech, created the stunning series that includes masterful explanations of the engineering underlying LCD monitors, fiber optic communications, and hard disc drives. Ryan and Ziech earned B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois; Hammack, who is currently a Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois, earned a M.S. and Ph.D in Chemical Engineering at Illinois. Hammack's work has been recognized by an extraordinarily broad range of scientific, engineering, and journalistic professional societies. From journalists he has won the trifecta of the top science and engineering journalism awards: The National Association of Science Writer's Science in Society Award; the American Chemical Society's Grady-Stack Medal, and the American Institute of Physics' Science Writing Award. From his engineering peers he's been recognized with the ASME's Church Medal, IEEE's Distinguished Literary Contributions Award, ASEE's President's Medal, and the AIChE's Service to Society Award.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Articulate Noise Books (April 7, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0983966133
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0983966135
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.54 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 273 ratings

About the author

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Bill Hammack

Bill Hammack

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Make magazine called Bill a “brilliant science-and-technology documentarian”, whose “videos should be held up as models of how to present complex technical information visually.” Wired called them “dazzling.” His work has been recognized by an extraordinarily broad range of scientific, engineering, and journalistic professional societies. From journalists he has won the trifecta of the top science and engineering journalism awards: The National Association of Science Writer's coveted Science in Society Award; the American Chemical Society's Grady-Stack Medal, and the American Institute of Physics' Science Writing Award—all typically given to journalists. From his engineering peers he's been recognized with the asme's Church Medal, ieee's Distinguished Literary Contributions Award, asee's President's Medal, and the aiche's Service to Society Award. He is a Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois - Urbana.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
273 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charlie
5.0 out of 5 stars Wish there were more like it
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2020
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This is an amazing book that should be taught in every school. The eight stories are fascinating and demonstrate what an advanced society we live in. The authors do an excellent job of concisely explaining the science behind these concepts, providing enough detail to allow anyone to learn a lot, but not too much detail to turn it into a technical morass. My only complaint is that these guys stopped at 8. I wish they would continue with more editions. I was also disappointed to learn that there are not more books similar to this out there. This is a travesty. These books will help inspire future scientists, inventors, and businessmen who will continue to advance and enrich our lives.

My favorite sections were the battery and anodizing. I also thoroughly enjoyed the short intros on the various elements and the primers. Highly recommend and will make a perfect gift for anyone interested in science and how it applies to the real world.
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Harlan Kanoa Sheppard
5.0 out of 5 stars Easily worth the money.
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2017
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After seeing their shameless plug of this book on YouTube a few times, I gave it a go. It's not a huge risk, given that I've already listened to the soothing voice of Bill Hammack competently explain the inner workings of a number of devices and gadgets already. There's no audio accompaniment to this text (though there should be! I'd have paid extra!) but that doesn't really diminish the value of what's inside.

A series of brief, standalone tales of how things work. The brief discussion on how batteries work was much better than the long-winded yarn found in a chemistry textbook I was reading recently. The overview on the physics of separating isotopes of uranium was mind-boggling in both the sophistication and the engineering that went into refining the technology. Enjoyable book. I hope they make more.
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Jeff Holder
4.0 out of 5 stars These additional insights were nice to read about and were worth the humble cost
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015
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A delightful read on the topics Bill Hammack covers on his YouTube channel "Engineer Guy" - https://www.youtube.com/user/engineerguyvideo
Because of the decision to keep his videos in a short length format, this book is able to dive deeper in to his subjects by explaining further about the history, mechanisms or general chemistry of a topic. These additional insights were nice to read about and were worth the humble cost, which funds go to help further production of engineering videos. Each chapter is a subject of interest and if you're already familiar with Bill Hammack's videos, you will defiantly notice that bulk of the content is almost verbatim from the video scripts; this may deter some people who might expect a completely new dialog of the subjects. This really didn't bother me as the information is still interesting to have. It is also worth noting if you purchase the physical book a digital version is immediately available. Bill provides more information on this book here: http://www.engineerguy.com/elements/
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Andy in Washington
3.0 out of 5 stars Engineering: The Devil (And Genius) Is In The Details
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2014
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I am an electrical engineer, so I didn't really "learn" a whole lot from the book. But that being said, I am usually a sucker for these kinds of books anyway-if for no other reason than to find new ways of explaining things. I spend a fair amount of time trying to explain engineering to others in both formal and informal settings, and will take any help I can get.

=== The Good Stuff ===

* Bill Hammack is ambitious, and takes on a number of topics that should be of interest to anyone with interest in technology. The CCD, a rather simple device, is at the heart of many camera sensors, and is one of those devices that has changed the way the world works. Hammack does a credible job of explaining how one works and what the challenges were in inventing and producing one.

* For the most part, the author tries very hard to explain complex topics of science and engineering in the language of everyday life. In some ways he is quite successful at this. If you read closely, you will know more about microwave ovens, electronic cameras, batteries and a few other key technologies than you did before you started. Based on that, i would say the book will be a success for most of its readers.

=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===

* The real problem I have with the book is that it tries to do too much in a limited amount of words. For example, even the "simplest" battery is becoming a fairly complex device as competition requires more and more capability for less money. This is classic engineering-the basic science behind a battery is centuries old, but every day engineering pushes the actual technology a bit further. In other words, engineering is about details.

The things that make a battery in 2014 so much better than a similar battery in 1984 are all minute details of chemistry, metallurgy and manufacturing tolerances and techniques. You probably need to be a PhD and years of experience to really understand the nuances of these improvements, and therefore the engineering behind them.

And that is the problem I have with this book. The real "genius" behind the technologies the author describes are simply not all that easy to convey to the "layman".

In this case, I am aware of this shortcoming because my own education and work experience are closely aligned with many of the technologies listed in this book. But it would be no different if I was reading a book on heart transplants. Sure, someone could explain what the heart does, and even list a few of the major techniques in organ removal and replacement...but I would never appreciate the true genius and wizardry of a heart transplant.

=== Summary ===

So in the end, I think the book will be a disappointment to many readers. Those that already understand some of the key concepts (wave propagation, semiconductor manufacturing) will not get a lot from the book-it is simply too basic. But anyone who really doesn't understand these things will be hard pressed to truly comprehend the material presented. That is not to say that it can't be explained...just that a chapter in a relatively thin book is just not enough to get the ideas across.
5 people found this helpful
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Harcourt Russell
5.0 out of 5 stars Really good for the curious mind
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019
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Each story was well explained and the held you captive to the ingenious methods thought up for each device. It keeps you entertained and a fun look at the things that make our world what it is today. I definitely want to read this book again and use it as a starting point to learn more about the subjects I was unaware. The only downside was the the book is a bit dated referencing then new technology and the last bit had some particle physics concepts that were skipped over. But overall a great read.
2 people found this helpful
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Geetanjali S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth read that stays engaging throughout
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2021
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This is an amazing book that details the complex science behind the simple processes that make our world work.
The topics are easily digestible and the authors make an effort to start from the “ground up” so when you get into the nitty gritty details you’re not lost. Would make a great gift for scientists or engineers in your life!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sameer
5.0 out of 5 stars Quality content
Reviewed in India on August 13, 2021
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I always wanted to read this book.Bcoz i have seen some videos by bill hammack in which he read a wonderful book!
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Professor Plum
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2020
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I bought this for the camera chapter whilst most censors are now CMOS and not CCD it was a refresher for me. The rest of the book is a revelation, how to make an atomic bomb ( no I have not tried) but it is explained in an easy to understand way, in all of the topics covered The maths in some of the chapters went way over my head. Fortunately, it does not distract from the subject reading matter.
If you have a curious or inquiring mind as regards science or how things work this is well worth a read, as I said I bought this for the camera chapter but the rest of the book really is a very enlightening read.
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Inspector 1
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2018
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At times over my head...but still an amazing read. I love Bills YouTube videos and this takes it one step further.
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Matheus
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book!
Reviewed in Brazil on October 4, 2014
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For those who have seen the engineering guy at youtube, this book fulfill every gap that you may have. Amazing Book, recommended.
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Gary Yong
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr informationsreich, passend für Geeks
Reviewed in Germany on May 15, 2015
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Die "Eight Engineering Stories" sind sehr genial und ins Details beschrieben. Davon kann man sehr guten Einblick bekommen, was wir im Alltag als gegeben angenommen haben. Sehr gute Inhalte zum sehr günstigen Preis. Like!
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