Posted to News on 24th May 2013, 14:00
Review: Oxford Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering
Oxford University Press has published A Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering, edited by Tony Atkins and Marcel Escudier*. The new book has over 400 pages containing more than 8500 definitions and explanations, approximately 175 of which are illustrated with line drawings. It covers mechanical engineering terms in the core areas of design, stress analysis, dynamics and vibrations, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Topics include heat transfer, combustion, control, lubrication, robotics, instrumentation and measurement. In addition, related subject areas are also addressed, such as acoustics, bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, aeronautical engineering, environmental engineering and materials science.
According to the publishers, this new book is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of its kind. Moreover, unlike a conventional dictionary, the Oxford Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering also contains references to web links that can be found via a companion website; these links take users to third-party websites for more detailed information about specific subjects ranging from alloys, bearings and bolts, through to hardness, pneumatics and toothed gearing.
In the preface the authors refer to the many sources of information they used to compile the dictionary. Interestingly, they state that they made extensive use of the internet but frequently found that definitions online could be traced back to a single source, which was not necessarily correct. The authors also note that the prefixes nano and micro are sometimes used interchangeably, and there are many cases in which the scale of the technology relates to neither nanometres or micrometres, so the prefixes mean little more than "small'.
Not only is the dictionary a useful reference for students of mechanical engineering, qualified and experienced mechanical engineers, other engineers requiring some knowledge of the mechanical discipline, and hobbyists, but it will also be very helpful for other people working in related roles - such as sales representatives, marketing managers, PR and marketing agents, and journalists and editors.
The Oxford Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering , ISBN 978-0-19-958743-8, is available to purchase directly from Oxford University Press for the recommended retail price of 12.99, though discounts are currently available from other online booksellers.
About the editors
Tony Atkins is Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Reading and Visiting Professor at Imperial College. He has authored over 150 journal articles and several books, is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Marcel Escudier is Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Liverpool. He has written many journal articles and a book, and is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
* Review by Jon Severn, Editor, MachineBuilding.net
