Engineering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Engineering

Students entering engineering programs should gain competency in several areas during the freshman year. Aside from answering the question of whether they really want to study engineering, students must, if they are to be successful, gain an understanding of basic scientific principles, use of computer tools, approaches to engineering problems, and basic study skills. If students do not develop a solid foundation in these critical skills early in their academic career, they will struggle in upper level courses or turn their back on engineering. Saeed Moaveni's new book is designed to give students an overview of these skills at the freshman level. Often, students do not grasp the importance of developing good study skills and, consequently, will struggle in later courses as a result. This book introduces students to basic study skills while also introducing the engineering discipline in the early chapters. Having thoroughly prepared students, the author then introduces basic principles, physical laws, engineering materials, computer tools, and engineering standards and codes at a basic level so students comprehend the importance of these topics. The book features examples from everyday situations, providing students with a meaningful context in which to learn hard-to-grasp topics. Examples of how the skills being learned are applied to different fields of engineering are supported by the opportunity to apply these skills in hands-on exercises. Throughout the text, Moaveni emphasizes strategies for solving engineering problems as well as the importance of communication skills in terms of writing technical reports or memos, and giving oral presentations. Moaveni's writing style is student-friendly and his "Observe the World Around You" feature is an excellent and unique way to introduce new ideas to beginning engineering students.