Might be a Good Reference Book
10/10/2007
As a senior ME student, I think Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design may be a good reference book, but find it is a poor text. Most topics are covered quickly and equations presented with little or no emphasis on any engineering derivation. This will frustrate engineers who enjoy knowing why the equations work. Also many of the answers found in the back of the book are simply incorrect. This inhibits the value of the problems found at the end of each chapter. The book covers a myriad of engineering topics which makes it fine to pull off the shelf to find the correct equation to use. However as a text, it lacks the engineering and mathematical depth to help one understand why the equations presented are true and why they work.