Engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world. Through the marriage of theoretical mathematics and physics and, the application of structural and materials science, engineering and engineers are the minds behind architectural marvels like the Pyramids, the Notre Dame, and countless other historical buildings. Today, engineering has grown to include programming and computer sciences as well.

Even though building a website or a stone cathedral seem as easy as following a series of steps, engineering requires a fundamental understanding of various mathematical and physical principles and how they can safely be applied to everyday tools, buildings, or programs. For a profession like that, great textbooks that tackle these concepts with concise explanations and countless worked examples are essential.

BookScouter has put together a list of 10 engineering textbooks that cover foundational concepts of engineering from programming algorithms to structural engineering essentials. To make things more interesting, you can get your hands on these books at reasonable prices by using BookScouter to buy and sell your textbooks. So, if you’re looking to sink your teeth into the science of engineering or need more application practice with example questions, try these.

The Civil Engineering Handbook (New Directions in Civil Engineering)

W.F. Chen and J.Y. Richard Liew

This handbook is a comprehensive reference for everything civil engineering including up-to-date information on techniques, tools, and materials that are staples in the field. The Civil Engineering Handbook is an excellent tool for engineers to address the challenges and practical problems they encounter on the job.

Mechanics of Materials

Ferdinand Beer and Russell Johnston

Mechanics of Materials delivers incredibly thorough and detailed content provided by leaders in engineering education. Beer and Johnston have 40 years of experience. The textbook is rife with images and contains a series of problems for study and content comprehension.

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Engineering Mechanics

S.S. Bhavikatti and K. G. Rajashekarappa

Bhavikatti and Rajashekarappa have compiled a wealth of solved problems from real engineering experiences in Engineering Mechanics. By addressing real problems and incorporating new technologies, students are given a new way to learn statics and dynamic portions.

Structural Engineering Handbook

CD-ROM W.F Chen

Everything structural engineers need to know can be found in Chen’s Structural Engineering Handbook. It is a complete resource for understanding structural design and construction starting with the fundamentals through to detailed concepts.

Fundamentals of Thermodynamics

Richard Sonntag and Gordon Van Wylen

Fundamentals of Thermodynamics has been a leading textbook in the field for over three decades. The textbook contains worked examples, practice questions, illustrations, and a comprehensive collection of online content. This textbook lays the groundwork for important physical concepts of engineering.

Introduction to Algorithms, Second Edition

Thomas Cormen

For those with some programming knowledge, Introduction to Algorithms is a great introductory textbook for understanding the role of algorithms, linear programming, probabilistic analysis, and many more mathematically wonderful aspects of programming algorithms. Introductions to Algorithms is a well-known textbook and is commonly used in universities worldwide.

Theory Of Structures

S. Ramamrutham and R. Narayan

Nine-hundred and ninety-nine. That is the number of fully solved problems contained in the Theory of Structures. With these worked problems, students get an in-depth review of concepts with the benefit of exhaustive explanations on advanced topics such as masonry dams, plastic theory, and much more.

Algorithms (4th Edition)

Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne

The most relevant computer algorithms in use are discussed and analyzed in this textbook. Sedgewick and Wayne have distilled 50 years of knowledge and technological progress that is essential for programmers and computer science students. BTW, a great list of popular computer science textbooks is available on the BookScouter blog.

Applied Mechanics and Strength of Materials

R. S. Khurmi

Engineering is replete with theoretical concepts requiring a vast knowledge of mathematics and physical concepts. Of course, problems written out on pen and paper are quite different with applied to structures and concepts. Khurmi’s textbook covers applied examples in the strength of materials and structural engineering.

Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction

William Callister

This textbook expertly combines concise explanations of materials science topics with amazing illustrations. Callister offers an extensive introduction to mechanical properties and materials choices in engineering. With hundreds of figures and illustrations, the author showcases materials in expert detail, including their microstructures.

That’s 10 engineering textbooks that cover the challenging concepts of various engineering specialties. Engineering is a field that is known for its applications in programming, construction, and much more. However, engineering also requires extensive knowledge of theoretical concepts, and that’s where textbooks come in. 

If you’re in need of textbooks for your upcoming courses, BookScouter.com can help you find, buy cheap textbooks, rent textbooks online, and sell books. Simply enter your book’s ISBN on the website, and BookScouter will show you what is available to buy, rent, or sell at competitive prices. If you want free books – There’s a great article on how to get free textbooks online under an open license. Feel free to check!