As a structures primer, there is no better read. Why Buildings Stand Up covers the breadth of historical presidents intermingled with well presented, clearly written structural techniques. Certainly not an exhaustive textbook, it does however generate momentum for further study and will definitely lay a solid foundation of structural understanding. An absolute essential for young architects and a great read for anyone interested in some construction fundamentals. If you're more interested in the "what went wrong" kind of structural failure documentary as opposed to this more technical piece, see Why Buildings Fall Down also by Salvadori.

Very nice book!!
Very easy to read!
There you can learn many things that you never known!!

I receipt the book very quikly and in excelent conditios of use, as a new book.

This book provides a layman's explanation of structural engineering without being overly simple or condensending.

The early chapters on loads, materials, and beams and columns were a short but good foundation. The explanations of buildings, bridges, and dams, and other "non building" structures provides a useful broadening of perspective for those involved primarily in commercial building projects, but who may, on occasion, encounter more unusual complex sturctures.

For those who are not engineers, but make their living building commercial building every day - building owners, architects, contractors, lenders, and insurers - this is about as much information as they need and can handle.

Choosing Project Success - A Guide for Building Professionals

I never received this book from Amazon. Now I get to go through the fun process of trying to get a refund. Amazon sucks. Meanwhile, I bought this book at a bookstore and it is really good.