"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But what happens when it does break?
Only by learning why something broke can we hope to prevent future failure, says author Eberhart, a materials science expert. In deconstructing destruction, he examines the materials that make up an object, what holds them together and, ultimately, what forces them apart.
For instance, Corelle dinnerware is advertised as being practically indestructible. Accepting the challenge, Eberhart threw plates around like Frisbees trying to get them to shatter. After a collision with an asphalt curb, he got his answer. But only by making it break could he understand how and why. From kryptonite locks to hydrogen molecules, from the Space Shuttle disaster to the sinking of the Titanic, the stories behind how things work and don't work are illustrated in practical ways.—S.J. Johnston