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Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way
A structural engineer examines the seven most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world.
Some of engineering’s mightiest achievements are small in scale, even hidden—and yet, without them, the complex machinery on which our modern world runs would not exist. In Nuts and Bolts, Roma Agrawal examines seven of these extraordinary elements: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the lens, the magnet, the string, and the pump.
From the physics behind both Roman nails and modern skyscrapers to rudimentary springs that inspired lithium batteries, Agrawal shows us how even the most sophisticated items are built on the foundations of these ancient and fundamental breakthroughs in engineering. Agrawal explores an array of intricate technologies—dishwashers, spacesuits, microscopes, suspension bridges, breast pumps—making surprising connections, explaining how they work, and using her own hand-drawn illustrations to clarify complex technical principles. Along the way, she recounts the stories of remarkable scientists and engineers from all over the world, and reveals how engineering has fundamentally changed the way we live.
Some of engineering’s mightiest achievements are small in scale, even hidden—and yet, without them, the complex machinery on which our modern world runs would not exist. In Nuts and Bolts, Roma Agrawal examines seven of these extraordinary elements: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the lens, the magnet, the string, and the pump.
From the physics behind both Roman nails and modern skyscrapers to rudimentary springs that inspired lithium batteries, Agrawal shows us how even the most sophisticated items are built on the foundations of these ancient and fundamental breakthroughs in engineering. Agrawal explores an array of intricate technologies—dishwashers, spacesuits, microscopes, suspension bridges, breast pumps—making surprising connections, explaining how they work, and using her own hand-drawn illustrations to clarify complex technical principles. Along the way, she recounts the stories of remarkable scientists and engineers from all over the world, and reveals how engineering has fundamentally changed the way we live.
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First published November 7, 2023
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About the author
Roma Agrawal
4 books58 followersRoma Agrawal, an award-winning structural engineer, has designed bridges, skyscrapers, and sculptures, and worked on London’s The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe. She has lectured widely and has presented TV shows for the BBC and Discovery. She lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
November 19, 2023
I was immediately attracted by her book title.
The Nail: From towering skyscrapers and majestic bridges to sturdy furniture, the nail plays an important role in construction.
The Spring: Beyond its role in propelling cars and bicycles, the spring's ability to store and release energy has found applications in atomic clocks, whose precision allows for timekeeping accuracy of losing only one second in about 100 million years.
The Wheel: The wheel, a symbol of human innovation, has revolutionized transportation. Its impact extends to bicycles, where pneumatic tires, invented by veterinary surgeon John Boyd Dunlop, provide a smooth and comfortable ride.
The Lens: The lens has empowered us to explore the microscopic world through microscopes, gaze upon distant celestial wonders with telescopes, and correct vision impairments with eyeglasses.
The Magnet: From the early telegraph and telephone to the marvels of modern medicine, the magnet's unique properties have played an essential role.
The String: In musical instruments like the Tanpura, strings produce enchanting melodies. Woven into clothing and textiles, strings provide comfort and durability, and when incorporated into bulletproof vests, they offer protection against harm.
The Pump: From irrigating fields to ensuring sanitation in urban areas, the pump's ability to transport fluids has been instrumental in sustaining life. Astronauts' suits rely on pumps to circulate essential fluids, while heart-lung machines maintain blood flow during critical surgeries.
These 7 fundamental inventions have changed how we live today.
The Nail: From towering skyscrapers and majestic bridges to sturdy furniture, the nail plays an important role in construction.
The Spring: Beyond its role in propelling cars and bicycles, the spring's ability to store and release energy has found applications in atomic clocks, whose precision allows for timekeeping accuracy of losing only one second in about 100 million years.
The Wheel: The wheel, a symbol of human innovation, has revolutionized transportation. Its impact extends to bicycles, where pneumatic tires, invented by veterinary surgeon John Boyd Dunlop, provide a smooth and comfortable ride.
The Lens: The lens has empowered us to explore the microscopic world through microscopes, gaze upon distant celestial wonders with telescopes, and correct vision impairments with eyeglasses.
The Magnet: From the early telegraph and telephone to the marvels of modern medicine, the magnet's unique properties have played an essential role.
The String: In musical instruments like the Tanpura, strings produce enchanting melodies. Woven into clothing and textiles, strings provide comfort and durability, and when incorporated into bulletproof vests, they offer protection against harm.
The Pump: From irrigating fields to ensuring sanitation in urban areas, the pump's ability to transport fluids has been instrumental in sustaining life. Astronauts' suits rely on pumps to circulate essential fluids, while heart-lung machines maintain blood flow during critical surgeries.
These 7 fundamental inventions have changed how we live today.
June 16, 2025
Not really sure why average ratings are so low. I loved this book. It was well researched, fun to read, and highly informative. It also focused on things I never learned in school - inventions and applications created and innovated by BIPoC and women from all over the world. This is a book I’d want all my kids to read too.
December 8, 2024
O carte foarte interesantă de popularizare a ingineriei. Câteva curiozități:
1.) Un avion Boing 737 are peste 600 000 de nituri. Niturile au permis dezvoltarea unui design mai suplu al avioanelor, deoarece nu depind doar de forța de frecare pentru a ține în loc fuzelajul, ca în cazul cuielor, ci își îndeplinesc funcția prin forma specială a acestora (formă de ganteră în secțiune). În locurile unde este nevoie de mai multă rezistență, se pot folosi buloane (șurub+piuliță, titlul cărții).
2.) Roata este considerată astăzi simbolul mobilității. Dar roata a apărut prima dată sub forma roții de olărit.
3.) Calculul longitudinii a fost rezolvat de John Harrison, un ceasornicar englez autodidact din secolul XVIII, care a inventat un ceas (cronometru marin) suficient de robust pentru a rezista mișcărilor corabiei și schimbărilor de temperatură, presiune și umiditate ale aerului. Longitudinea este dată de diferența de timp dintre ceasul sincronizat la timpul Greenwich și cel de la timpul local, de unde necesitatea măsurării exacte a timpului.
Cartea ar trebui să se numească "Șuruburi, piulițe și șaibe". Șaibele permit distribuirea uniformă a forței. Astfel, ele previn apariția fisurilor în material.
Recomand
1.) Un avion Boing 737 are peste 600 000 de nituri. Niturile au permis dezvoltarea unui design mai suplu al avioanelor, deoarece nu depind doar de forța de frecare pentru a ține în loc fuzelajul, ca în cazul cuielor, ci își îndeplinesc funcția prin forma specială a acestora (formă de ganteră în secțiune). În locurile unde este nevoie de mai multă rezistență, se pot folosi buloane (șurub+piuliță, titlul cărții).
2.) Roata este considerată astăzi simbolul mobilității. Dar roata a apărut prima dată sub forma roții de olărit.
3.) Calculul longitudinii a fost rezolvat de John Harrison, un ceasornicar englez autodidact din secolul XVIII, care a inventat un ceas (cronometru marin) suficient de robust pentru a rezista mișcărilor corabiei și schimbărilor de temperatură, presiune și umiditate ale aerului. Longitudinea este dată de diferența de timp dintre ceasul sincronizat la timpul Greenwich și cel de la timpul local, de unde necesitatea măsurării exacte a timpului.
Cartea ar trebui să se numească "Șuruburi, piulițe și șaibe". Șaibele permit distribuirea uniformă a forței. Astfel, ele previn apariția fisurilor în material.
Recomand
September 29, 2023
I've been fascinated with simple (and complex) machines since I can remember, so this is a book that calls out to me. Being an engineer, this was more than appealing, but obviously one need not be one to enjoy it. Ms Agrawal has written a delightful book that is easily a single-sitting read (after which I sat for a couple of weeks before writing this.) She gives the history of her revised simple machines, expands on some particulars of their evolution to contemporary uses, and connects with personal experiences - example: learning to make nails with a blacksmith.
Ms. Agrawal updates the traditional six simple machines of inclined planes, levers, wheel and axles, pullies, wedges, and screws to seven: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the string, and the pump. She says herself, "During the Renaissance, scientists and engineers defined six 'simple machines,' described as being the basis of all complex machines. These were the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. But today, those six feel outdated and insufficient. So, I got rid of a few and added some others to showcase seven elements that I believe form the basis of the modern world." And she says, "In the pages that follow, I will show you that engineering is the meeting of science, design, and history." Yep. I started out long ago majoring in physics, and along the way determined that I enjoy application more than theory.
You may learn a few things, and I think you'll enjoy the ride. I did.
Note: I received an advance uncorrected proof from the publisher through NetGalley and when it comes out, I'll be looking for it to add to my library so I can loan it out to friends and family.
I didn't take a lot of notes; just a going with the flow kind of read.
"One, Joe Fosset, toiled in the nailery from the time he was twelve, alongside other young boys who together made between 8,000 and 10,000 nails every day by hand— enough to fund the Jefferson family while the depleted soils of the plantation replenished themselves during fallow years."
{Per day??? Toiled might be an understatement. I've tried my hand at smithing - my father had a small forge, anvils, and a large battery of tools. I had thought I'd like to have that one day, but smithing takes a hard toll on the body.}
"Someone really did have to invent the wheel - or, at least, in the way in which it was used. And it does seem to have a leap: most inventions evolve over time. A naturally sharp piece of rock, for example, inspired us to sharpen other rocks into tools, and gradually we began to attach them to handles, long poles, or arrow shafts— but with the wheel and axle, there’s no such evolution in getting to its basic form. It either works or it doesn’t."
{I need to go find Invention of Miracles by Katie Booth.}
"The most rewarding— and disconcerting— day of my career as an engineer was standing for the first time on the solid steel deck of the Northumbria University bridge. Eighteen months earlier, when I started my first full- time job, I was handed designs for this beautiful structure. I marveled at the fact that what was then only a notion would one day become a fully formed, three- dimensional reality. When that day arrived, I traveled to Newcastle (hoping I’d done all the math right) to stand on the steel that I had previously seen only on paper."
{This made me happy. Too often, engineers don’t go look at their work. I was managing the rehab of a water pumping station and had to force the design team to actually bring their electrical engineer out to verify the control panels were installed to his specs. And on a data center project, one of my technicians pointed out to the design mechanical engineer - who did make plenty of site visits - that an access panel would be blocked if we expanded the system (by design intent) to add another CRAC unit. That engineer got to see first hand what the problem was and was able to design up a quick fix. (And, he was rightly embarrassed.)}
[On a specific type of pumps - an artificial heart] "Rohin said that tall people often end up struggling to get a donor because you can put a big heart into a small person, but not a small heart into a tall person: it wouldn’t be strong enough to get the blood to the longer extremities. (He added that this, and sitting comfortably in economy seats on a plane, are the only two wins for short people.)"
{Chuckle out loud. I think we have more wins than that.}
Ms. Agrawal updates the traditional six simple machines of inclined planes, levers, wheel and axles, pullies, wedges, and screws to seven: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the string, and the pump. She says herself, "During the Renaissance, scientists and engineers defined six 'simple machines,' described as being the basis of all complex machines. These were the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. But today, those six feel outdated and insufficient. So, I got rid of a few and added some others to showcase seven elements that I believe form the basis of the modern world." And she says, "In the pages that follow, I will show you that engineering is the meeting of science, design, and history." Yep. I started out long ago majoring in physics, and along the way determined that I enjoy application more than theory.
You may learn a few things, and I think you'll enjoy the ride. I did.
Note: I received an advance uncorrected proof from the publisher through NetGalley and when it comes out, I'll be looking for it to add to my library so I can loan it out to friends and family.
I didn't take a lot of notes; just a going with the flow kind of read.
"One, Joe Fosset, toiled in the nailery from the time he was twelve, alongside other young boys who together made between 8,000 and 10,000 nails every day by hand— enough to fund the Jefferson family while the depleted soils of the plantation replenished themselves during fallow years."
{Per day??? Toiled might be an understatement. I've tried my hand at smithing - my father had a small forge, anvils, and a large battery of tools. I had thought I'd like to have that one day, but smithing takes a hard toll on the body.}
"Someone really did have to invent the wheel - or, at least, in the way in which it was used. And it does seem to have a leap: most inventions evolve over time. A naturally sharp piece of rock, for example, inspired us to sharpen other rocks into tools, and gradually we began to attach them to handles, long poles, or arrow shafts— but with the wheel and axle, there’s no such evolution in getting to its basic form. It either works or it doesn’t."
{I need to go find Invention of Miracles by Katie Booth.}
"The most rewarding— and disconcerting— day of my career as an engineer was standing for the first time on the solid steel deck of the Northumbria University bridge. Eighteen months earlier, when I started my first full- time job, I was handed designs for this beautiful structure. I marveled at the fact that what was then only a notion would one day become a fully formed, three- dimensional reality. When that day arrived, I traveled to Newcastle (hoping I’d done all the math right) to stand on the steel that I had previously seen only on paper."
{This made me happy. Too often, engineers don’t go look at their work. I was managing the rehab of a water pumping station and had to force the design team to actually bring their electrical engineer out to verify the control panels were installed to his specs. And on a data center project, one of my technicians pointed out to the design mechanical engineer - who did make plenty of site visits - that an access panel would be blocked if we expanded the system (by design intent) to add another CRAC unit. That engineer got to see first hand what the problem was and was able to design up a quick fix. (And, he was rightly embarrassed.)}
[On a specific type of pumps - an artificial heart] "Rohin said that tall people often end up struggling to get a donor because you can put a big heart into a small person, but not a small heart into a tall person: it wouldn’t be strong enough to get the blood to the longer extremities. (He added that this, and sitting comfortably in economy seats on a plane, are the only two wins for short people.)"
{Chuckle out loud. I think we have more wins than that.}
Want to read
March 7, 2023Nature's short review of an ARC:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d4158...
"Ten thousand years ago, the most advanced tools were made of chipped stone. Today, much technology is so complicated that it’s almost “indistinguishable from magic”, to borrow Arthur C. Clarke’s phrase. How did we get here? In Nuts and Bolts, structural engineer Roma Agrawal investigates the story of basic technological developments, and shows how intimately entwined they are with humanity’s own history.
She contends that the modern world has its foundations in seven humble inventions: the nail, wheel, spring, magnet, lens, string and pump. Building on her lifelong fascination with opening things up to see what makes them work, she explores the science of each of these mini ‘machines’, and follows their history from ancient beginnings to manifestations of modern engineering, small and large.
The spring, for example, she characterizes as “humanity’s first tool that allowed us to store energy and then release it when we wanted”. She charts its development from bows and arrows to the vast steel coils that help skyscrapers to withstand earthquakes, and the silicon hairsprings that maintain the accuracy of the most exclusive mechanical watches.
With a clear, lively and engaging style — and many puns — Agrawal encourages a new perspective on the inventions that keep the world rolling. The wheel, she explains, was first used not for transport, but to make pottery. It wasn’t for another 700 years that it was turned on its side and attached to an axle; the earliest surviving wheeled vehicles are from around 3200 bc, in what’s now Russia. A multitude of refinements followed, technological advances ushering in sweeping social change. Spoked wheels supplanted solid ones, their lightness enabling fast travel and improved trade. Wheels with wire spokes led to the bicycle, a source of freedom for many who couldn’t afford carriages or cars. ... '
Expected publication November 7, 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/d4158...
"Ten thousand years ago, the most advanced tools were made of chipped stone. Today, much technology is so complicated that it’s almost “indistinguishable from magic”, to borrow Arthur C. Clarke’s phrase. How did we get here? In Nuts and Bolts, structural engineer Roma Agrawal investigates the story of basic technological developments, and shows how intimately entwined they are with humanity’s own history.
She contends that the modern world has its foundations in seven humble inventions: the nail, wheel, spring, magnet, lens, string and pump. Building on her lifelong fascination with opening things up to see what makes them work, she explores the science of each of these mini ‘machines’, and follows their history from ancient beginnings to manifestations of modern engineering, small and large.
The spring, for example, she characterizes as “humanity’s first tool that allowed us to store energy and then release it when we wanted”. She charts its development from bows and arrows to the vast steel coils that help skyscrapers to withstand earthquakes, and the silicon hairsprings that maintain the accuracy of the most exclusive mechanical watches.
With a clear, lively and engaging style — and many puns — Agrawal encourages a new perspective on the inventions that keep the world rolling. The wheel, she explains, was first used not for transport, but to make pottery. It wasn’t for another 700 years that it was turned on its side and attached to an axle; the earliest surviving wheeled vehicles are from around 3200 bc, in what’s now Russia. A multitude of refinements followed, technological advances ushering in sweeping social change. Spoked wheels supplanted solid ones, their lightness enabling fast travel and improved trade. Wheels with wire spokes led to the bicycle, a source of freedom for many who couldn’t afford carriages or cars. ... '
Expected publication November 7, 2023
November 8, 2023
An interesting read about an important topic. But I picked up this book because of the engineering perspectives. These perspectives are few and far between in the book, surrounded by unnecessary diversions and social commentary.
March 5, 2025
This was like auditing a science class and loving it so much you end up taking every class the teacher has. I learned so much and I really appreciated how the author highlighted marginalized inventors. Only a woman would feature a dishwasher inventor and the breast pump. Great read and i understand there’s a kids book version also.
March 31, 2023
Ms Agrawal writes a very interesting account of the seven small inventions that changed the world. Much of the technical history is fascinating even to myself as a fellow engineer. It is a pity that while reading I could hear the her grinding her axes in the back ground. The feminist memes came to the fore in several places. We didn't really need to know that the HeLa cell line had been taken from a black woman without her permission. Nor did the discussion on gender politics in clothing add anything to my enjoyment.
Particularly annoying was the recognition given to Takayanagi as the supposed inventor of television while ignoring James Logie Baird. Likewise, several paragraphs were given to the Indian engineer Bose and his work; while intimating that Marconi couldn't have had the success he had without Bose's coherer.
A well written book with many interesting facts. It would have been a lot more enjoyable if the author didn't have such a large woke chip on her shoulder.
Particularly annoying was the recognition given to Takayanagi as the supposed inventor of television while ignoring James Logie Baird. Likewise, several paragraphs were given to the Indian engineer Bose and his work; while intimating that Marconi couldn't have had the success he had without Bose's coherer.
A well written book with many interesting facts. It would have been a lot more enjoyable if the author didn't have such a large woke chip on her shoulder.
May 8, 2024
This book had a great concept and basis. Unfortunately, I found it failing in the execution.
The division and selection of the inventions was well-based, but I found each of the chapters to be meandering and frequently getting way off of the subject. The author wandered way too deeply into the background of some of the personalities. She also wandered on the invention development path, frequently straying into some long (sometimes relevant, but also some irrelevant) side channels.
Some of the technical descriptions had illustrations, but that was infrequent, making some of them difficult to follow. As an engineer, I am pretty good at following such things. Following some of the technical aspects were sometimes beneath me as overly simplistic, while some were poorly described and difficult to grasp.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was too up/down and meandering for me.
The division and selection of the inventions was well-based, but I found each of the chapters to be meandering and frequently getting way off of the subject. The author wandered way too deeply into the background of some of the personalities. She also wandered on the invention development path, frequently straying into some long (sometimes relevant, but also some irrelevant) side channels.
Some of the technical descriptions had illustrations, but that was infrequent, making some of them difficult to follow. As an engineer, I am pretty good at following such things. Following some of the technical aspects were sometimes beneath me as overly simplistic, while some were poorly described and difficult to grasp.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was too up/down and meandering for me.
December 20, 2023
This book had some interesting tidbits, but overall it was a bit gimmicky to me. Lots of sort of disparate concepts sometimes shoehorned into a category she's decided upon, and she also tends to spend too much time on personal anecdotes and one single application. It got redundant and it just wasn't all that fun to read.
3/10
3/10
February 25, 2024
mi-a plăcut cartea asta și a fost ușor accesibilă chiar și fără înclinații spre inginerie.
Estre structurată în capitole care abordează câte o invenție și povestește apoi cum a luat naștere și cum ne ajută în viața reală. am citit despre roată, resort, magnet, lentile, cui, fir și pompă.
Estre structurată în capitole care abordează câte o invenție și povestește apoi cum a luat naștere și cum ne ajută în viața reală. am citit despre roată, resort, magnet, lentile, cui, fir și pompă.
June 1, 2025
was an OK read but not mind-blowing or anything. maybe just cuz I'm not a STEM or engineering girl tho... I vlog reading this book (because it starts with the letter N and I was reading books based on the letters of my name) here: https://youtu.be/6mRBnVOorpo?si=6UM86...
December 21, 2023
Read to page 8 where author stated that nothing before nails was secured together. Well, boats were first made with weaving and multi story Pagodas were built without nails. So that did it for me.
May 14, 2024
3,5 Sterne
Dieses Buch stellt einige wichtige Erfindungen, deren Funktionsweise und vielfältige Anwendungen vor. Dabei verbindet die Autorin diese Beschreibungen immer wieder mit persönlichen Anekdoten, um zu betonen, dass Technik auch immer menschlich ist. Diese Anekdoten waren manchmal als Einstieg gut, aber gingen mir dann oft zu lange.
Gut gefallen hat mir, dass Agrawal auch auf die Schattenseiten der Erfindungen eingeht. Insgesamt wirkt das Buch gut recherchiert. An einer Stelle, bei geschlechtergetrennter Mode, hat sie jedoch nicht ordentlich geforscht und wiederholt nur ein paar Sätze, die zwar online herumgeistern, aber nicht stimmen.
Insgesamt ein interessantes Sammelsurium mit interessanten Geschichten
Dieses Buch stellt einige wichtige Erfindungen, deren Funktionsweise und vielfältige Anwendungen vor. Dabei verbindet die Autorin diese Beschreibungen immer wieder mit persönlichen Anekdoten, um zu betonen, dass Technik auch immer menschlich ist. Diese Anekdoten waren manchmal als Einstieg gut, aber gingen mir dann oft zu lange.
Gut gefallen hat mir, dass Agrawal auch auf die Schattenseiten der Erfindungen eingeht. Insgesamt wirkt das Buch gut recherchiert. An einer Stelle, bei geschlechtergetrennter Mode, hat sie jedoch nicht ordentlich geforscht und wiederholt nur ein paar Sätze, die zwar online herumgeistern, aber nicht stimmen.
Insgesamt ein interessantes Sammelsurium mit interessanten Geschichten
October 25, 2025
Solid pop engineering - fun to read and I learned a few things.
January 22, 2024
Really enjoyed the east stuff - the nails, the wheels, bolts...had a harder time with springs...and when we got to magnets and pumps it all just became a slog. I appreciate that the author tried to bring it around to "real" people to keep it readable but I have come to terms with the fact that I will never truly understand the details behind things like artificial hearts...
November 12, 2025
The goal of this book is to break down the complex into the simplistic and to demystify engineering, and she did a fantastic job. Very interesting physics, stories, and histories throughout. And you don’t have to have any technical expertise to understand and appreciate the topics!
March 11, 2025
This book was kind of underwhelming for what I wanted it to be.
The science bits were quite interesting, hearing about the forces and physics at play, but sometimes it felt incomplete. It was like the book would explain just enough for you to know the words for what it was talking about but not enough to actually get a deep understanding. That is especially true for the later chapters, for the simple bits about nails where it is just explaining forces at play and how metal works it is really good, but as it goes into the more complex machines it feels like it doesn't want to take the time to explain things as fully. Or rather, it is taking the same amount of time for something that requires a bit more.
For the more historical and society bits of this book I was okay with it until about chapter 6. In that chapter there was a small section about a topic I already knew a bit about, historical clothing.
Knowing that there is a lot of nuance in that topic, and that there is more than one way to interpret some of the facts she mentioned, made it very obvious how quickly and simply some of these topics were being discussed.
That isn't 100% a problem, the author is not setting out to do a complex social history of my special interest specifically, it does an okayish job of getting across the point it is intended to. However, knowing that the book did not include nuance at a point when it felt very necessary to me made it difficult to trust the rest of the book's opinions and thoughts on history and society.
Overall 2.25 I kind of wish the author had fully written 7 books so there would be more room to actually explain things in each topic instead of rushing past to the next thing
The science bits were quite interesting, hearing about the forces and physics at play, but sometimes it felt incomplete. It was like the book would explain just enough for you to know the words for what it was talking about but not enough to actually get a deep understanding. That is especially true for the later chapters, for the simple bits about nails where it is just explaining forces at play and how metal works it is really good, but as it goes into the more complex machines it feels like it doesn't want to take the time to explain things as fully. Or rather, it is taking the same amount of time for something that requires a bit more.
For the more historical and society bits of this book I was okay with it until about chapter 6. In that chapter there was a small section about a topic I already knew a bit about, historical clothing.
Knowing that there is a lot of nuance in that topic, and that there is more than one way to interpret some of the facts she mentioned, made it very obvious how quickly and simply some of these topics were being discussed.
That isn't 100% a problem, the author is not setting out to do a complex social history of my special interest specifically, it does an okayish job of getting across the point it is intended to. However, knowing that the book did not include nuance at a point when it felt very necessary to me made it difficult to trust the rest of the book's opinions and thoughts on history and society.
Overall 2.25 I kind of wish the author had fully written 7 books so there would be more room to actually explain things in each topic instead of rushing past to the next thing
October 5, 2023
Nuts and Bolts by Roma Agrawal is a book about seven of the most important inventions. There is one chapter dedicated to each one, which goes into important and famous ways it has been used and how it has evolved over the years.
I really liked this book. Each chapter was well laid out, and I enjoyed seeing the many different applications of these items. I also particularly liked how it went over each item's evolution, such as the nail evolving to the screw, which evolved to the rivet, which evolved to the bolt. The physics and other science that had to be explained for these items were also well written, complete with illustrations, to really be understandable. Lastly, a book like this has the potential to be really dry, but by adding personal notes and jokes it became fun and easy.
The drawbacks to this book were few, but some did exist. In particular, I wish more inventions were explained rather than just mentioned. Of course not every invention can be explained or the book would be massive, but it was sad to look forwards to an explanation and not get one, such as with a laundry machine.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to people who have an interest in how everyday objects work, and who are a relative beginner to this field of study.
Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company for this ARC on NetGalley.
I really liked this book. Each chapter was well laid out, and I enjoyed seeing the many different applications of these items. I also particularly liked how it went over each item's evolution, such as the nail evolving to the screw, which evolved to the rivet, which evolved to the bolt. The physics and other science that had to be explained for these items were also well written, complete with illustrations, to really be understandable. Lastly, a book like this has the potential to be really dry, but by adding personal notes and jokes it became fun and easy.
The drawbacks to this book were few, but some did exist. In particular, I wish more inventions were explained rather than just mentioned. Of course not every invention can be explained or the book would be massive, but it was sad to look forwards to an explanation and not get one, such as with a laundry machine.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to people who have an interest in how everyday objects work, and who are a relative beginner to this field of study.
Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company for this ARC on NetGalley.
December 31, 2023
The concept of this book was way cooler than the execution. I did learn some fun facts about some basic engineering concepts, but often it went wildly off the rails and the author started talking about her miscarriages and unrelated social justice issues. Do we really need to be reminded about slavery when we're learning about magnets of all things? I get that it's important to pay attention to the wider world around you, but it was very ham fisted and not really at all connected to the thing she was talking about, and it was so over the top that it was distracting and really took me out of the book.
June 11, 2023
Interesting, personal, and a surprisingly emotional read.
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August 30, 2024Roma Agrawal is an engineer, and is fascinated with how things are made and how things work. In this book she examines the idea that small, simple innovations have made some of our biggest machines and constructions possible. This is a riff on the idea of “simple machines.” I learned about simple machines in school as a child. Maybe you did, too. They were the lever, the wheel, the pully, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. Agrawal names her own, and there are seven, instead of six: The nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, string, and the pump.
For each item she gives examples of how it works, and how it has been influential. The wheel allowed people to travel out of their villages and meet a broader pool of marriage partners, widening the gene pool. The spring, which is the basis for the bow and arrow, allowed Chinggis Khaan to conquer large territory. Magnets made our modern-day electronic communications possible, from telegraphs to cell phones. Lenses made modern medicine possible, with the ability to look at cells through a microscope. String made possible suspension bridges, Kevlar vests, musical instruments, and medical masks.
There are lots of interesting things in here. There were some technical descriptions which were challenging, such as the internal workings of watches and clocks. Ms Agrawal, conscious of being a woman in a male dominated field, includes stories of female and non-white scientists when they are there, and discusses inventions of primary interest to women: the dishwasher, the breast pump.
In general I found the book uneven, a jumble of subjects stuck together, some more memorable and some more fun than others, but always interesting.
For each item she gives examples of how it works, and how it has been influential. The wheel allowed people to travel out of their villages and meet a broader pool of marriage partners, widening the gene pool. The spring, which is the basis for the bow and arrow, allowed Chinggis Khaan to conquer large territory. Magnets made our modern-day electronic communications possible, from telegraphs to cell phones. Lenses made modern medicine possible, with the ability to look at cells through a microscope. String made possible suspension bridges, Kevlar vests, musical instruments, and medical masks.
There are lots of interesting things in here. There were some technical descriptions which were challenging, such as the internal workings of watches and clocks. Ms Agrawal, conscious of being a woman in a male dominated field, includes stories of female and non-white scientists when they are there, and discusses inventions of primary interest to women: the dishwasher, the breast pump.
In general I found the book uneven, a jumble of subjects stuck together, some more memorable and some more fun than others, but always interesting.
September 15, 2024
This was such a fantastic book! I highly recommend.
If you like STUFF MATTERS or CHEMISTRY FOR BREAKFAST and you want to learn about the science of everyday objects from an engineering perspective, this is a great book. Agrawal covered the wheel, the lens, springs, magnets, nails, string, and pumps.
What I particularly loved about this book was that Agrawal centered applications of many of these inventions that impact women. In the chapter on lenses she talked about her experience with invitro fertilization to conceive her daughter. The chapter on the wheel I learned about Josephine Cochrane who invented a modern version of the dishwasher. In the chapter on pumps, Agrawal described the development of the breast pump and how newer better piezoelectric breast pumps are being created by the company Elvie.... I wish I had had a quiet breast pump like that back when I had babies!!
Agrawal also did a phenomenal job highlighting non-western scientists such as the father of optics, Ibn al-Haytham--whose name should be more common to us than other scientists who often get the credit for original experiments with light.
I highly recommend this book, and I am going to read the other books by this author!
If you like STUFF MATTERS or CHEMISTRY FOR BREAKFAST and you want to learn about the science of everyday objects from an engineering perspective, this is a great book. Agrawal covered the wheel, the lens, springs, magnets, nails, string, and pumps.
What I particularly loved about this book was that Agrawal centered applications of many of these inventions that impact women. In the chapter on lenses she talked about her experience with invitro fertilization to conceive her daughter. The chapter on the wheel I learned about Josephine Cochrane who invented a modern version of the dishwasher. In the chapter on pumps, Agrawal described the development of the breast pump and how newer better piezoelectric breast pumps are being created by the company Elvie.... I wish I had had a quiet breast pump like that back when I had babies!!
Agrawal also did a phenomenal job highlighting non-western scientists such as the father of optics, Ibn al-Haytham--whose name should be more common to us than other scientists who often get the credit for original experiments with light.
I highly recommend this book, and I am going to read the other books by this author!
March 2, 2024
An interesting book about seven items we often see in the modern world: the nail, wheel, spring, magnet, lens, string and pump.
Each chapter in the book looks at one of the items, covering their history, variations on the item, how they were used and what they are used for nowadays, from everyday items to some of the largest structures in the world. The author also puts in some personal anecdotes on making and using the items and some social commentary on how the inventions have been put to use for creating empires and subjugating others, showing that how the inventions are used brings benefits and drawbacks to the world at large.
This is a book to read if you have an interest in engineering and how nuts and bolts (and other items) are used in various way.
Each chapter in the book looks at one of the items, covering their history, variations on the item, how they were used and what they are used for nowadays, from everyday items to some of the largest structures in the world. The author also puts in some personal anecdotes on making and using the items and some social commentary on how the inventions have been put to use for creating empires and subjugating others, showing that how the inventions are used brings benefits and drawbacks to the world at large.
This is a book to read if you have an interest in engineering and how nuts and bolts (and other items) are used in various way.
January 1, 2024
Interesting choices, which I agree are fundamental in engineering and physics, and are the foundation of widespread applications in a variety of disciplines. The interspersing of history and personal biography provide a relevance and connect to what would otherwise have been a dry account of 'nuts and bolts'.
November 30, 2025
there were some nice ideas in this book, but unfortunately each chapter seemed to go on longer than it needed to. As others have noted, the deviations into the so-called "forgotten inventors" felt forced and unnecessary, particularly as they rarely connected directly with the themes.
June 10, 2024
That was fun. I do wish they had a list of the 7 at the end since I kept forgetting them. I really liked how she gave credit for inventions for who helped and who really invented them not just who got credit for it. This was a little thing but I really appreciated how in all her examples she used she/her pronouns when normally most books use he/him.
June 4, 2025
Like most popular engineering books, this is interesting, sound and 50% too long.
January 12, 2024
This is a joy to read. The author delves into these 7 things we use everyday in one for or another. Her writing style is very readable. Her sense of humor is scattered throughout. Nicely done.
January 4, 2024
Before I read Little House on the Prairie, which I credit with beginning me on a path to avid readership, and before I read
The Lord of the Rings
, which introduced me to the fantasy genre and all of its wonders, I read almost exclusively nonfiction, and this pre-second grade me had three favorite nonfiction books which I read repeatedly: How Things Work, How New Things Work, and Batteries Bulbs and Wires. Full of diagrams, exploded isometric drawings (not that I knew that terminology at the time), and cut-away views of complex machines that broke those machines down into fundamental components of wheels, levers, inclined planes, and other “simple machines,” I kept returning to these books even after I discovered the fantasy genre. Indeed, I still have them these many years later, sitting, a little ragged, on one of my bookshelves.
Reading Nuts and Bolts was a little like reading the grownup version of my early favorites. In it, Agrawal is doing what thinkers since at least the ancient Greeks did: attempt to break down complex technology into fundamental building blocks, “simple machines,” although the designation of the six simple machines with which you may be familiar came about in the Renaissance. The inclined plane, the lever, the wheel, the pulley, the wedge, and the screw are the classic six, considered elements that can alter the direction or the magnitude of a force, or, more directly, that can implement mechanical advantage. They’ve fallen somewhat out of favor in recent years, so I was pleased to see Agrawal attempting a modern take. Her list is a little different from the classic six.
Some of her changes, like including magnets in her treatment, are brilliant. The exact terminology involved may not be perfect, since she is using magnets as a shorthand to refer to everything that humanity now does with the electromagnetic spectrum, from compasses to computers to lasers and radio, but the concept is an outstanding update to the simple machine concept. If simple machines are supposed to be the building blocks of technology, then surely we need at least one representative from electrical engineering to join the mechanical pantheon. They may not have the same association with the concept of mechanical advantage, but they are still manipulating force and energy to achieve a result. Recently, I heard someone describe electricity as “a magic system that does one thing that humanity has figured out how to use in a million different ways,” which is a fantastic way of looking both at electrical engineering and at designing magic systems for stories.
Other additions, like the spring or the string, are equally insightful, as fundamental in their ways as the pulley or the wheel, and Agrawal’s insights in including them are perspicacious. They help compensate for other additions she makes, like the pump, which are rather less fundamental than I would consider appropriate for the type of list she is seeking to create (all of the pumps that she describes are amalgamations of other simple machines dedicated to the task of moving fluid). She fills her book with history and heritage for each of the machines she identifies, which I always appreciate learning, although I think the book could have benefited from a few more diagrams and more time spent digging into the function of each machine.
Within her discussion of machines, Agrawal tends to philosophize about the history of invention and the morality of engineering. Her social historical commentary is rather lacking in nuance and insight compared to her engineering understanding. As for her engineering morality, it suggests that the inventor or engineer should hold themselves responsible for all of the possible implications, no matter how removed, of their devices. This might seem reasonable enough, that we should think about where the materials are coming from and so forth, but the end result suggests that engineers should consider themselves morally responsible for the actions of everyone who might ever use their device, which becomes problematic. In other words, she failed to consider edge cases in developing her philosophy. Still, she keeps these sidebars relatively contained, and they did not significantly detract from the quality of the book’s engineering analysis.
Technology development these days can so often consist of slapping some servomotors and sensors together with a microcontroller and a few lines of code that it is too easy to forget the fundamental components that go into making those systems function. Simple machines offer a way of thinking about engineering at a more fundamental level, rather than a systems engineering approach, and Agrawal’s book is an insightful, modern iteration of that idea, giving us new building blocks for the current age. Nuts and Bolts is not an ultimate list, and it could dig deeper into the mechanical functioning of the identified machines, but it is still a worthwhile read for those of us who are always taking things apart, putting them back together, and wondering just how things work.
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