Force, Henry Petroski
Force, Henry Petroski
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Force
What It Means to Push and Pull, Slip and Grip, Start and Stop

Author: Henry Petroski

Narrator: Mike Lenz

Unabridged: 11 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/30/2022


Synopsis

An eminent engineer and historian tackles one of the most elemental aspects of life: how we experience and utilize physical force

Force explores how humans interact with the material world in the course of their everyday activities. This book for general audiences also considers the significance of force in shaping societies and cultures.

Celebrated author Henry Petroski delves into the ongoing physical interaction between people and things that enables them to stay put or causes them to move. He explores the range of daily human experience whereby we feel the sensations of push and pull, resistance and assistance. The book is also about metaphorical force, which manifests itself as pressure and relief, achievement and defeat.

Petroski draws from a variety of disciplines to make the case that force—represented especially by our sense of touch—is a unifying principle that pervades our lives. In the wake of a prolonged global pandemic that increasingly cautioned us about contact with the physical world, Petroski offers a new perspective on the importance of the sensation and power of touch.

About Henry Petroski

Henry Petroski is the author of twenty nonfiction trade books, including The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things, which consider the invention, design, and cultural significance of common objects. He is a distinguished professor emeritus at Duke University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Steve

The book isn’t really about engineering but Henry Petroski brings to light some principles of engineering that have to do with forces. Petrosky examines forces within the context of his life. At first I didn’t like this style, but as the book went on, I liked it more and more. The book is a fun read......more

Goodreads review by Angie

Just what is a force? According to Henry Petroski, we know a force not by what it is but by what it does. This is not a heavy science and technology book, but it discusses forces of all types and their effects on every aspect of our lives, each in its own chapter. Of course, there are chapters on gr......more

Goodreads review by Jeff

Solid Exposition Of Applied Physics. This book truly is one of the better written, more approachable books on applied physics for the "layman" that I've come across. It takes most every easily observed physical force, from a simple push to gravitational to magnetic to torque and beyond, and explains......more

Goodreads review by James

This is an interesting exploration of physics in the everyday world. The author shows how even turning a doorknob is an expenditure of energy. The author is a physicist and explains how engineers work to conserve effort and make life more easily lived. It is entertaining to look at something as simp......more