Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down

Name: Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
Price: 3.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (2126 reviews)
Author: J. E. Gordon

by J. E. Gordon

Nonfiction

4.6 (2,126)

4.6 stars from 2,126 reviews. Top 79% of Nonfiction books we track.

395 pages~6.6 hr readPublished by Penguin BooksPublished 1978-01-01

$3.99Deal69% off peak

Last checked: Jun 17, 2026

Price history: $2.99 – $12.99

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Price range: $2.99 – $12.99

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Perfect for you if...

You're curious about how the physical world actually works but have been terrified of maths and technical jargon.
You love popular science that teaches you something real without dumbing it down or boring you to tears.
You want to understand the engineering principles behind everything from skyscrapers to animal bones, written with genuine wit.

Maybe not for you if...

You're looking for a practical how-to guide on building or designing something specific.
You prefer your non-fiction heavily researched with constant citations and scholarly apparatus.
You want dense technical detail; Gordon deliberately strips that away in favour of accessible explanation.

About this book

J.E. Gordon explains engineering principles in clear, accessible language without relying on technical jargon. The book addresses practical questions about how structures work: why suspension bridges support heavy traffic, how dams withstand water pressure, and what design principles apply to skyscrapers and animal bodies like kangaroos. Gordon uses witty prose to make the foundational concepts of engineering understandable to general readers.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$2.99 – $12.99

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 69% off peak. Price has dropped 14 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 169 days. Typically stays discounted for 9 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #235K in the Kindle store — a niche title. Sales have softened 35% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.6★ from 2,126 reviews

Gaining approximately 7 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $3.99. It typically returns to around $12.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.