This book fills a gap between picture books for elementary students and
technical books about bridges at the college level. It provides a
readable and comprehensive illustrated guide to bridges of the world,
with attention to different designs (arch, beam, truss, cantilever,
suspension, cable-stayed) and materials (wood, stone, iron, steel,
concrete, and even roots, grass, and plastic). Design challenges,
technical advances, and environmental concerns are addressed with
examples drawn from across the world and across the centuries. Fun
chapters include those on movable bridges, pedestrian bridges, and
bridge disasters. The style is friendly and accessible.