The work of engineers surrounds us: from the phones in our pockets to the layout of our cities; these days engineers even transport some of us to the moon. But the skills that brought the world clean water and telecommunications also produced polluting technologies that could threaten its future.

Engineering: A Beginner's Guide explores the scientific, social, and philosophical implications inherent in the challenges faced by engineers throughout history. From Roman viaducts to bionic limbs, humans have used fascinating and diverse feats of engineering to overcome their limitations. Revealing the widespread impact that this has had on culture, knowledge, and, perhaps most importantly in these times, the environment, McCarthy presents a future in which engineering is crucial to saving the planet.