Want to know what books Ante Shoda recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Ante Shoda's favorite book recommendations of all time.
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Wenn wir nur über CO2-Bilanzen, Vor- und Nachteile von Sonne, Wind oder Atom sprechen, dann verpassen wir es, über wirkliche Alternativen zu sprechen. Eine solche Alternative könnte eine gerechtere Gesellschaft sein, in der die Starken weniger Macht hätten und die Schwachen weniger marginalisiert würden; eine Gesellschaft, in der die Menschen weniger konsumieren, aber mehr Zeit und Raum für sich haben; eine Gesellschaft mit teureren Lebensmitteln, aber weniger Hunger; eine freiere Gesellschaft.
Dass das Verbrennen von Erdöl die Umwelt schädigt, wissen mittlerweile alle. Der hohe... more Wenn wir nur über CO2-Bilanzen, Vor- und Nachteile von Sonne, Wind oder Atom sprechen, dann verpassen wir es, über wirkliche Alternativen zu sprechen. Eine solche Alternative könnte eine gerechtere Gesellschaft sein, in der die Starken weniger Macht hätten und die Schwachen weniger marginalisiert würden; eine Gesellschaft, in der die Menschen weniger konsumieren, aber mehr Zeit und Raum für sich haben; eine Gesellschaft mit teureren Lebensmitteln, aber weniger Hunger; eine freiere Gesellschaft.
Dass das Verbrennen von Erdöl die Umwelt schädigt, wissen mittlerweile alle. Der hohe Energieverbrauch unserer Gesellschaft indes wird kaum je infrage gestellt: Wird Energie nur »sauber« produziert, gilt sie als unproblematisch.
Marcel Hänggi hinterfragt diesen Konsens und zeigt auf, dass wir den Klimawandel nur dann stoppen können, wenn wir unser Verhältnis zur Energie ändern. Denn Energie prägt die Art, wie wir Nahrung produzieren und uns ernähren; wie wir uns bewegen; wie wir konsumieren; wie die Macht in Wirtschaft und Politik arbeitet. less 
Ante ShodaIt’s a very sobering book. It’s pessimistic and optimistic at the same time. This is the ultimate engineering book, even though it’s not a typical engineering book. (Source)
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Power, Speed, and Form is the first accessible account of the engineering behind eight breakthrough innovations that transformed American life from 1876 to 1939--the telephone, electric power, oil refining, the automobile, the airplane, radio, the long-span steel bridge, and building with reinforced concrete. Beginning with Thomas Edison's system to generate and distribute electric power, the authors explain the Bell telephone, the oil refining processes of William Burton and Eugene Houdry, Henry Ford's Model T car and the response by General Motors, the Wright brothers' airplane,... more Power, Speed, and Form is the first accessible account of the engineering behind eight breakthrough innovations that transformed American life from 1876 to 1939--the telephone, electric power, oil refining, the automobile, the airplane, radio, the long-span steel bridge, and building with reinforced concrete. Beginning with Thomas Edison's system to generate and distribute electric power, the authors explain the Bell telephone, the oil refining processes of William Burton and Eugene Houdry, Henry Ford's Model T car and the response by General Motors, the Wright brothers' airplane, radio innovations from Marconi to Armstrong, Othmar Ammann's George Washington Bridge, the reinforced concrete structures of John Eastwood and Anton Tedesko, and in the 1930s, the Chrysler Airflow car and the Douglas DC-3 airplane.
These innovations used simple numerical ideas, which the Billingtons integrate with short narrative accounts of each breakthrough--a unique and effective way to introduce engineering and how engineers think. The book shows how the best engineering exemplifies efficiency, economy and, where possible, elegance. With Power, Speed, and Form, educators, first-year engineering students, liberal arts students, and general readers now have, for the first time in one volume, an accessible and readable history of engineering achievements that were vital to America's development and that are still the foundations of modern life.
-- "Library Journal" less Ante ShodaThis is what I would call a typical engineering book. It describes eight breakthrough innovations from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Those eight innovations are the telephone, electricity, oil refining, the automobile, the airplane, radio, long span bridges and, finally, reinforced concrete. (Source)
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An investigation into how machines and living creatures fly, and of the similarities between butterflies and Boeings, paper airplanes and plovers.
From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. In The Simple Science of Flight, Henk Tennekes investigates just how machines and creatures fly: what size wings they need, how much energy is required for their journeys, how they cross deserts and oceans, how they take off, climb, and soar. Fascinated by the similarities between nature and technology, Tennekes offers... more An investigation into how machines and living creatures fly, and of the similarities between butterflies and Boeings, paper airplanes and plovers.
From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. In The Simple Science of Flight, Henk Tennekes investigates just how machines and creatures fly: what size wings they need, how much energy is required for their journeys, how they cross deserts and oceans, how they take off, climb, and soar. Fascinated by the similarities between nature and technology, Tennekes offers an introduction to flight that teaches by association. Swans and Boeings differ in numerous ways, but they follow the same aerodynamic principles. Biological evolution and its technical counterpart exhibit exciting parallels. What makes some airplanes successful and others misfits? Why does the Boeing 747 endure but the Concorde now seem a fluke? Tennekes explains the science of flight through comparisons, examples, equations, and anecdotes. The new edition of this popular book has been thoroughly revised and much expanded. Highlights of the new material include a description of the incredible performance of bar-tailed godwits (7,000 miles nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand), an analysis of the convergence of modern jetliners (from both Boeing and Airbus), a discussion of the metabolization of energy featuring Lance Armstrong, a novel treatment of the aerodynamics of drag and trailing vortices, and an emphasis throughout on evolution, in nature and in engineering. Tennekes draws on new evidence on bird migration, new wind-tunnel studies, and data on new airliners. And his analysis of the relative efficiency of planes, trains, and automobiles is newly relevant. (On a cost-per-seat scale, a 747 is more efficient than a passenger car.) less Ante ShodaPerhaps it’s an odd choice for an introductory book, in that it’s not about engineering in general. It focuses just on airplanes. Though it’s about aerospace engineering, the great thing about this book is that it shows the connection between the natural world and the world of engineering. It shows how we can learn from nature. (Source)
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In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart uses a handful of mathematical equations to explore the vitally important connections between math and human progress. We often overlook the historical link between mathematics and technological advances, says Stewart—but this connection is integral to any complete understanding of human history.Equations are modeled on the patterns we find in the world around us, says Stewart, and it is through equations that we are able to make sense of, and in turn influence, our world. Stewart locates the origins of each equation he... more In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart uses a handful of mathematical equations to explore the vitally important connections between math and human progress. We often overlook the historical link between mathematics and technological advances, says Stewart—but this connection is integral to any complete understanding of human history.Equations are modeled on the patterns we find in the world around us, says Stewart, and it is through equations that we are able to make sense of, and in turn influence, our world. Stewart locates the origins of each equation he presents—from Pythagoras's Theorem to Newton's Law of Gravity to Einstein's Theory of Relativity—within a particular historical moment, elucidating the development of mathematical and philosophical thought necessary for each equation's discovery. None of these equations emerged in a vacuum, Stewart shows; each drew, in some way, on past equations and the thinking of the day. In turn, all of these equations paved the way for major developments in mathematics, science, philosophy, and technology. Without logarithms (invented in the early 17th century by John Napier and improved by Henry Briggs), scientists would not have been able to calculate the movement of the planets, and mathematicians would not have been able to develop fractal geometry. The Wave Equation is one of the most important equations in physics, and is crucial for engineers studying the vibrations in vehicles and the response of buildings to earthquakes. And the equation at the heart of Information Theory, devised by Claude Shannon, is the basis of digital communication today.
An approachable and informative guide to the equations upon which nearly every aspect of scientific and mathematical understanding depends, In Pursuit of the Unknown is also a reminder that equations have profoundly influenced our thinking and continue to make possible many of the advances that we take for granted. less 
Nick HighamHe is a brilliant writer and one of the most famous people in the world for popularising mathematics. (Source)
Ante ShodaThis is written by a professor of mathematics from the United Kingdom, and it describes a number of mathematical breakthroughs and their consequences related to engineering and the practical usage of mathematics in machines and other things that we use every day. It’s a great introduction to the underlying principles of engineering. (Source)
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5
Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of science and civilization. Cosmos traces the origins of knowledge and the scientific method, mixing science and philosophy, and speculates to the future of science. The book also discusses the underlying premises of science by providing biographical anecdotes about many prominent scientists throughout history, placing their contributions into the broader context of the development of modern... more Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of science and civilization. Cosmos traces the origins of knowledge and the scientific method, mixing science and philosophy, and speculates to the future of science. The book also discusses the underlying premises of science by providing biographical anecdotes about many prominent scientists throughout history, placing their contributions into the broader context of the development of modern science.
The book covers a broad range of topics, comprising Sagan's reflections on anthropological, cosmological, biological, historical, and astronomical matters from antiquity to contemporary times. Sagan reiterates his position on extraterrestrial life—that the magnitude of the universe permits the existence of thousands of alien civilizations, but no credible evidence exists to demonstrate that such life has ever visited earth. less 
Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)
Bill NyeThe story of my other hero, Carl Sagan. The other guy who inspired me to do what I do now. (Source)
Ante ShodaIt explains 14 billion years of the evolution of the universe, a sort of engineering experiment on the largest possible scale. It spans all scales of space and time, describing everything from the largest scales of the universe to the smallest scales of molecules and atoms. It’s a good book for putting everything in perspective. (Source)
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