Massively Epic Engineering Disasters

Its hands-on science with a capital Efor engineering.

Beginning with the toppling of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, to the destructive, laserlike sunbeams bouncing off Londons infamous Fryscraper in 2013, here is an illustrated tour of the greatest engineering disasters in history, from the bestselling author ofThe Book of Totally Irresponsible Science.

Each engineering disaster includes a simple, exciting experiment or two using everyday household items to explain the underlying science and put learning into action. Understand theTitanics demise by sinking an ice-cube-tray ocean liner in the bathtub. Stomp on a tube of toothpaste to demonstrate what happens to non-Newtonian fluids under pressureand how a ruptured tank sent a tsunami of molasses through the streets of Boston in 1919.

From why the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans to the fatal design flaw in the Sherman tank, heres a book of science at its most riveting.