The Bridge Book - Hardcover

Every bridge is different--engineered to carry a particular kind of traffic across a particular barrier and to withstand local extremes of weather. While most are supported by towers, arches, or cantilevers, some float. Built of wood, stone, concrete, iron, or steel, their evolution comprises the history of humankind's understanding of engineering and materials. To introduce these concepts, Carter describes seven basic types of bridge, giving an example of each (the Pont d'Avignon; the Brooklyn Bridge). Various suspension schemes and types of trusses are shown; along with the structural descriptions, bits of bridge lore and history are also introduced. A minor cavil: the cantilever is mentioned but how it works is not made clear, either in the otherwise lucid text or in Doty's simple, amusing drawings, which admirably convey much of the information here. Overall, an entertaining book that covers its subject with grace and humor. Glossary. (Nonfiction. 8+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

PreSchool-- In an effort to explain bridges to very young readers, Carter describes arches, girders, and trusses in an accurate but extremely dull manner. The illustrations, done in pen and ink accented with federal blue, are cartoonlike and often cluttered by asides and dialogue balloons. The subject matter is complicated, but the format is that of a picture book, so it's hard to imagine who this is aimed at. It's not suitable for assignments, and it's dull browsing material, even for those fascinated by piers and girders. For a much more attractive explanation of the subject, try Graham Richard's Bridges (Bookwright, 1987). --Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.