Engineering Reads: 10 Useful Books for the Modern Engineer

It might be difficult to find time to read in our modern lives, but that doesn't mean it's not worth setting aside a bit of time every day to soak up new ideas and learn about your craft.

The field of engineering is changing every day, as innovations in STEM constantly push the need for new knowledge. Whether its AI, computer modeling, nanomaterials, or ethical engineering, we're only ever a few pages away from learning something new and exciting.

Here is a selection of books that make great reading for engineers that want to keep up with the latest trends.

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1. Enhanced Living Environments

The concept of Enhanced Living Environments (ELE) is based on the notion that technology can be effectively applied to people's homes to improve their quality of life and, therefore, reduce the burden on healthcare providers.

Enhanced Living Environments sets itself out as a state-of-the-art reference that goes into detail on progress in the field of ELE so far, while also taking a deep dive into algorithms, standards, and practices in the growing field.

2. Computer Modelling in the Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry is undergoing immense change. Whether it's the introduction of drone technology or the predicted boom in flying taxis, simulation of aerospace equipment has never been more important.

That's exactly what Computer Modelling in the Aerospace Industry delves into in great detail. Edited by Iftikhar B. Abbasov, the book is rich in detail that is valuable for aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, structural engineers, researchers and developers in the aerospace industry, as well as for aircraft designers and engineering students.

From VR aerospace simulators to the results of field experiments simulating an unmanned aerial vehicle, and much more, this book has you covered.

3. Artificial Vision and Language Processing for Robots

It's important to keep up to speed with the latest innovations in robotics, a field that promises to completely change the future of engineering and working at large.

Computer engineers Álvaro Morena Alberola, Gonzalo Molina Gallego, and Unai Garay Maestre have put together a comprehensive take on the way robots process language and view their surroundings. An important field, given that robots will become ever more present in our work environments.

4. Artificially Intelligent Nanomaterials for Environmental Engineering

Did you know that artificially intelligent nanomaterials can be used to take on many environmental problems, such as air and water pollution?

Artificially Intelligent Nanomaterials for Environmental Engineering dives into the design concepts and major chemical principles of AI nanomaterials, while also providing a bold outline for how the field should progress in the coming years.

The book addresses the great environmental challenges of our age and focuses on how nanotechnology can and will be, utilized in the future to take these on.

5. Consciousness and Robot Sentience

Consciousness is an incredibly complex topic that cannot yet be fully explained by science. At this point, the question of whether a robot can be sentient is perhaps less important than, the question 'what is sentience'?

As one scientist put it, asking if a robot can think is like asking if a submarine can swim — is it largely a question of semantics?

And yet, Pentti O. Haikonen takes on the big questions in Consciousness and Robot Sentience. Namely, Haikonen, a professor of Philosophy, takes on AIs "hidden problem," which the author says prevents it from becoming a true intelligent agent.

The book presents an explanation of consciousness that rejects metaphysics and material substances and presents a method for imitating this consciousness via neural networks.

6. The Ethical Engineer

In The Ethical Engineer Robert McGinn highlights an "ethics gap" he feels is present in the modern field of engineering. From technology transfer to privacy protection, digital privacy, professional misconduct, and whistle-blowing, McGinn isn't afraid to take on difficult subjects.

McGinn's book meets the need for engineering-focused ethical education, while also setting a mark for engineering and education institutions to continue where his book leaves off.  

7. Bio-Inspired Computing Models and Algorithms

Bio-Inspired Computing Models and Algorithms delves into the recent developments in computer algorithms and models that are based on biological mechanisms and living things.

Written by world-renowned scientists, Tao Song, Pan Zheng, Mou Ling Dennis Wong, and Xun Whang, this book covers the most influential aspects of bio-inspired computing, while pointing towards new, potentially rich, areas of research.

8. Hydrogen Production, Separation and Purification for Energy

Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit weight of any known fuel, making it the most promising next-generation fuel. Not only that, if we can truly tap into hydrogen's potential as a fuel source, we will have an abundance of immensely powerful and environmentally friendly fuel.

Hydrogen Production, Separation, and Purification for Energy provide an overview of research into the application of hydrogen as a fuel. A great source of knowledge for those trying to tap into that great potential.

9. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality and augmented reality can be used for a great number of applications aside from gaming and entertainment — it is showing great potential for medical applications such as pain relief and trauma therapy.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: myths and realities by Bruno Arnaldi, Pascal Guitton, and Guillaume Moureau, looks at recent use cases for VR and AR and gives a clear-sighted depiction of how the technology might truly start to change our lives in the future.

10. Hydrogen-Air PEM Fuel Cell

Another book that looks at Hydrogen as a fuel cell. Researchers Shiwen Tong, Dianwei Qian, and Chunlei Huo have delivered a comprehensive compendium on the modeling and control of hydrogen-air PEM fuel cells, including simultaneous estimation of the parameters and states, fuzzy cluster modeling, advanced fuzzy control, and SPM-based predictive control.

Including detailed descriptions and discussion on simulations and experiments, it is an essential reference for industrial engineers and research scientists alike.

Read these 10 books and you will undoubtedly have gained a much richer knowledge in various subfields of science and engineering, helping you to further your career or hone your craft. Let us know what you think, and if you have any engineering-related book recommendations for us, be sure to let us know.