10 Best Engineering Books for Beginners in 2024

Last updated on March 27th, 2024 at 05:30 pm

Engineering is one of the toughest courses you’ll encounter. If you are starting your journey in engineering and want to excel in this field you will need the best engineering books to make a strong foundation. That’s why we have selected the right reference book for each discipline that will help you understand the concepts if you are a beginner.

Engineering students are often introduced to a ton of reference books right in their first semester. It is confusing to pick one. So we decided to make your job easier. We have selected the best reference book for engineering students of various branches. Scroll through the list and find the best reference book for your branch of engineering.

Best for Electronics: The Art of Electronics

Ideal for: Electronics Engineering Students, Researchers, Professors

Number of pages: 1220

This book is considered the encyclopedia of electronics. It is popular for its electronic circuit design section. If you are interested in pursuing electronics engineering then you should read this book at least once to get the whole world of electronics simplified.

Key Features:

  • 90+ waveforms on oscilloscopes that show the waveform of circuits.
  • Dozens of graphs show data that is vital for electronic circuit design.
  • 1650 active components listed in over 80 tables.
  • It comes in handy as a practical reference book for Electronics.

Best for Computer Science: The Beginner’s Guide to Computer Engineering

Ideal for: Computer Engineering Students

Number of pages: 158

Number of chapters: 3

Learn the basics of Computer Engineering with the help of this book. It starts with some history of computers and then tells how the circuits have evolved. This book is more of an introductory course to computers and technology. If you are in high school or your first year of engineering, this is a great book for you.

Key Features:

  • Concept objective at the start of each chapter and summary at the end of each chapter.
  • Concept reinforcement questions at the end of each chapter.
  • Colorful photographs and tables make the book attractive and engage the reader.
  • No need to look else for the basics of computer technology.

Best for Civil: Civil Engineering Basics

Ideal for: Civil Engineering Students

Number of pages: 207

Number of chapters: 7

If you want to understand the practical applications of Civil Engineering then this is the book for you. The author has shared his own field experience so you can gain insights into how actual field work takes place. This book mainly focuses on water management systems.

Key Features:

  • Tells you how to properly grade a site with efficiency.
  • Focuses on designing stormwater conveyance systems along with structures such as detention basins.
  • Understanding the practical applications of erosion and sediment control.
  • It is a great reference book for projects related to water management systems.
  • Includes numerous tables and figures to elaborate and emphasize the practical applications.

Best for Electrical: Electrical Engineering Without Prior Knowledge

Ideal for: Electrical Engineering Students

Number of pages: 163

Number of chapters: 15

If you are interested in electrical engineering and don’t know where to start then we prefer this book. Learn alternating current theory, electromagnetic radiation, and much more from the author. It is perfect to understand how circuits work. With this, you will be able to apply these concepts to real-world problems.

Key Features:

  • Written in very simple language for people who aren’t native English speakers.
  • Includes numerous real-life examples of electrical engineering
  • Important formulae and mnemonics are highlighted so you won’t have to read through the text again.
  • The book covers basics such as current, voltage, power, circuit diagrams, resistors, capacitors, circuit building, etc.
  • Get a free eBook edition of this book on purchase of paperback.

Best for Mechanical: The Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Engineering

Ideal for: Mechanical Engineering Students

Number of pages: 332

Number of chapters: 3

This book belongs to a series of books called ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Engineering’. This one focuses on aspects of Mechanical Engineering in particular. It specializes in introducing novice learners to different concepts in mechanical engineering. The author has deliberately given less attention to the mathematics behind the concepts so new learners can focus on grasping the sense of the concept rather than being entangled in the math.

Key Features:

  • The author starts at the very basic concepts and builds up to introduce applications of the learned concepts.
  • The jargon is explained separately in a text box beside the actual text
  • Notable personalities in the field are introduced with a little background knowledge of them in separate text boxes.
  • Full of tables and images to allow the consumption of data to be more accessible.
  • A set of questions are provided at the end of each section, and the answer key to these questions is provided in an appendix at the end of the book.
  • Some of the topics covered in the book include units of measurement, vectors, force, couples, the moment of inertia, pressure, energy, etc.
  • Mechanical engineering students who have read this book find it accurate and suitable for their needs.

Check also: 15 Best C Programming Books

Best for Aerospace: Fundamentals of Aerospace Engineering

Ideal for: Aerospace Engineering Students and professionals

Number of pages: 144

This book lets you explore the field of Aerospace Engineering without needing to know complex math. The authors believe that though math is an important part of aerospace engineering, it should not limit the knowledge that you can have. A basic understanding of math, chemistry, physics, mechanics, communication, and electronics will be sufficient to read this book.

Key Features:

  • The book is short and sweet, which means it covers many important concepts in aerospace engineering without having to read pages and pages on a single topic.
  • The authors are to the point and have simplified concepts as much as possible.
  • Very clear and easy-to-understand illustrations make learning engaging and fun.
  • Important topics covered include propulsion, satellite components, launchers, satellite orientation & control, and spacecraft telecommunication.
  • A dedicated chapter on careers in aerospace engineering for students.

Best for Chemical: Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook

Ideal for: Chemical Engineering Students

Number of pages: 171

Number of chapters: 19

This book is said to be the Bible of Chemical Engineering. It is recommended by professors and famous agencies over the world. This book gives chemical engineering students insights into critical concepts, data, and instrumentation of chemical engineering. It covers not only chemical processes but also biological processes and process modeling.

Key Features:

  • The vast coverage of topics in this book makes it ideal for engineering students of all levels.
  • This book covers topics like thermodynamics, spectrometry, chemical reactors, energy resources, process economics, and reaction kinetics.
  • It touches upon management practices that are useful for the green synthesis of products.
  • It is a perfect reference for most mathematical derivations, instrumentations, synthesis, chemical methods, etc.

Best for Mathematics: Bird’s Basic Engineering Mathematics

Ideal for: Engineering Students

Number of pages: 479

Number of chapters: 38

Engineering students prefer this book because the author has provided a straightforward explanation of Engineering Mathematics concepts and has also supported them by giving relevant examples. It thoroughly covers the most basic concepts required in various engineering fields such as aeronautical, construction, electrical, electronic, mechanical, manufacturing engineering, and vehicle technology. It is perfect for students learning engineering math as well as teachers teaching basic mathematic courses.

Key Features:

  • Covers almost all topics that a first-year engineering student will require.
  • 1000+ problems and situations discussed to emphasize the importance of mathematics in engineering.
  • Revision tests after every few chapters
  • Suitable for competitive exams such as GCSE, BTEC First, City & Guilds Technician Certificate, etc
  • Online access to solutions to 1700 further questions is provided with the book.
  • Other online resources include lists of essential formulae, MCQ tests, illustrations, and solutions to revision tests.

Best for AI: Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans

Ideal for: Systems Engineering Students

Number of pages: 338

Number of chapters: 16

In this book, the author has showcased her expansive research on how Artificial Intelligence is remaking this world. She has set clear boundaries between science fact and science fiction. She addresses most questions raised about and around AI. Her perspective and experience will take you through an enthralling journey of artificial intelligence.

Key Features:

  • The book is divided into 4 sections, each of which covers an extensive topic in detail.
  • Clarifies the difference between AI, Expert Systems, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning.
  • Covers important concepts like computer vision and natural language processing.
  • Touches upon the trustworthiness and ethics of using and implementing AI.

Best for Robotics: Robotics Programming

Ideal for: Robotics Engineering Students

Number of pages: 602

Number of chapters: 19

If you are looking for a career in robotics engineering then this book will be your best guide. This is a bit advanced book, so beginners might want to get prior knowledge of programming. This book mostly uses Python, so you will need a basic understanding of that language.

Key Features:

  • Introduces you to the basic structure of a robot and then moves to program a robot to do repetitive and complex tasks.
  • Build AI-enabled autonomous robots and control them remotely.
  • Program a voice agent to control and interact with your robot.
  • Use sensors to sense the neighboring environment of the robot.
  • Teaches you to leverage the Raspberry Pi board to build various projects.

Conclusion: Best Engineering Books

All the above books are ideal for beginners starting their careers in engineering. The books are selected keeping the difficulty, the contents of the book, and readability in mind. Pick the book suggested for your branch, and we are sure you will not be disappointed.

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Vikas Gariyal

Electrical engineer by profession, I employ graphic design as a visual art to simplify and enhance electronic content for clarity and engagement, making complex ideas easily understandable. My work combines creativity and technology to create captivating and effective visual storytelling.

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