What Books Are Vital for a New M.E.?

Kempe's Engineers' Yearbook. Any edition. A 1990 one appeared recently in a charity bookshup for £5GBP. It wasn't there long.

All your text books and a copy of Machinery's Handbook.

GA.

Machinery's Handbook first and foremost.

Since budget is an issue, I'd suggest going on Amazon. ebay, etc., or someplace similar and getting an edition that is one or two or three editions old. Get a version that has the thumb tab cut-outs for easier use.

Thanks.

There's always birthdays and Christmas, too, but used should be fine. Not much has changed in mechanical engineering over the years.

It's amazing what you can find on-line now, too.

These guys : ASME - Home may help aspiring engineers gather books, too.

There is also a "Engineers Black book" that may come in handy as it's small and can fit into tight places, and provide quick access to formulas/tables etc... And it's not too much $$.

And of course, keep your old textbooks.

Do you mean the Pocket REF, complied by Thomas Glover?

Have one, great suggestion and they're only $10.00USD

This probably qualifies as an endorsement, but I'm looking at mine right now. It's in the top right hand drawer of my desk, where I keep all my essential stuff. _{(Super glue, pliers, screwdrivers, keys, gas card, pyrometer, dictionary, etc.)}

Oh, yes, definitely add a dictionary to the list.

Mark's Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers. It covers practically everything a mechanical engineer would ever encounter in their worklife.

Excelent suggestions so far! Thanks. The only addendum I would suggest is to replace "Kempe's Engineers' Yearbook" with Marks Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers if you happen to be stateside.

I wonder how much money we are talking about so far?

-A-

About £20GBP.

If you are a graduate from a four year institution upon starting employment I would reveiw community/technical institute texts that could be applicable to your job.

Two things made me want to post this question. 1) I read recently someone complain that there are not many questions these days on CR4, and that somehow indicated that this site was in decline. 2) I am astounded by many of the questions that come in, in their deep fundamental lack of understanding of the principles of engineering.

I suppose the issue at hand is that, rather than this being an "engineer's place for discussion," it is more of a "place for non-engineers to come and ask questions." That's cool, no problem. I should remind my self of this more often. Rather this, than continue to be afraid for the populations of those places where some of these questions come out of.

BTW, some of the best, wittiest, and most insightful answers I have read come from people whom I have come to think of as "non-indoctrinated engineers." (I'm willing to bet that the good-answer-to-post ratio leader board is lead by the non-degreed.)

-A-