The 10 Best Engineering Textbooks
Special Honors
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Editor's Notes
April 06, 2020:
Engineering is such a broad field that our list couldn't possibly cover the entire range of sub-disciplines out there. We decided to focus on some of the major players, general introductions, and versatile volumes with wisdom and information that applies to the entire field, like To Engineer Is Human and The Design of Everyday Things. The former of these focuses on high-profile mistakes and the errors that contributed to them to give the student an appreciation for peer review and the perils of overconfidence. The latter goes in-depth on user experience to help engineers get out of their heads and into that of the consumer who uses their creations. These two books are often suggested by teachers as extra reading, but they can also be a great gift alongside another relevant selection, like an architecture book or urban planning textbook.
Schaum’s Outline of Advanced Mathematics is an ideal study aid for students struggling with math, but know that it is intended for practice and not for explaining theories. And be aware that although Practical Electronics for Inventors can be a boon for hobbyists, it is by no means less rigorous than a typical textbook. If you are an absolute newbie, its introduction will help get you grounded, however, you'll need some prior knowledge and experience to continue past that.
Today we removed Introduction to Environmental Engineering due to its being outdated and added Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook in its place. This massive volume has been recently updated and offers coverage of almost every conceivable chemical engineering topic, from the fundamental to the cutting edge. It's the type of book that helps enormously during school and then remains on the bookshelf as a reference throughout your career.