
Engineers Making a Difference
by Dr Shini Somara, illustrated by Manuel Sumberac and Adam Allsuch Boardman
Interest age: 12 to 14
Reading age: 12+
Published by What on Earth Books, 2023
About this book
Written in order to inspire teens to consider engineering as a career, this is a fascinating compilation of interviews with actual engineers from across the world. Divided into sections such as human needs, climate and environment, healthcare, robotics, entertainment and many more, the book explores how engineering is at the heart of everything in day-to-day life. Have a problem that needs fixing? An engineer can help!
The author, herself a mechanical engineer, has spoken to a diverse group of people from across the globe who are passionate about making the world a better place. Engineers are superheroes: as she points out, they save lives every day by building safe bridges, planes, medical equipment and more. Plus they play a crucial part in slowing climate change. There are all sorts of engineers: aeronautical, agricultural, civil, environmental, materials, communications, development, and so on – something to suit everyone’s interests! And the projects displayed in the book are diverse and intriguing: for instance, developing fabric from excess carbon dioxide, building flood alleviation schemes, 3D printing prosthetic limbs and converting waste chicken feathers into packaging.
This book is accessible, inspiring and inclusive, with both men and women engineers featured. If readers have imaginations, curiosity and a drive to solve problems, perhaps a branch of engineering is for them. Perfect for secondary schools.
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