Building

Building: 3,000 Years Of Design, Engineering, & Construction (published by Phaidon) is a definitive history of "building engineering," the umbrella term author Bill Addis uses to describe a combination of structural engineering and building design. The authoritative and comprehensive text is accompanied by hundreds of diagrams and other illustrations from historical sources.

The clarity of the explanation, organisation, and layout make the subject accessible without simplifying the technical details. Appendices include timelines of iron and concrete, and an excellent bibliographic essay ("further reading material on... construction materials and certain building types").