Roma Agrawal – författare

Some of humanity’s mightiest engineering achievements are small in scale—and, without them, the complex machinery on which our modern world runs would not exist. In Nuts and Bolts, structural engineer Roma Agrawal examines seven of these extraordinary elements: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the string, and the pump.Tracing the evolution from Egyptian nails to modern skyscrapers, and Neanderthal string to musical instruments, Agrawal shows us how even our most sophisticated items are built on the foundations of these ancient and fundamental breakthroughs. She explores an array of intricate technologies—dishwashers, spacesuits, microscopes, suspension bridges, breast pumps—making surprising connections, explaining how they work, and using her own hand-drawn illustrations to bring complex principles to life.Alongside deeply personal experiences, she recounts the stories of remarkable—and often uncredited—scientists, engineers, and innovators from all over the world, and explores the indelible impact these creators and their creations had on society. In preindustrial Britain, nails were so precious that their export to the colonies was banned—and women were among the most industrious nail makers. The washing machine displayed at an industrial fair in Chicago in 1898 was the only machine featured that was designed by a woman. The history of the wheel, meanwhile, starts with pottery, and takes us to India’s independence movement, where making clothes using a spinning wheel was an act of civil disobedience.Eye-opening and engaging, Nuts and Bolts reveals the hidden building blocks of our modern world, and shows how engineering has fundamentally changed the way we live.

Some of humanity’s mightiest engineering achievements are small in scale—and, without them, the complex machinery on which our modern world runs would not exist. In Nuts and Bolts, structural engineer Roma Agrawal examines seven of these extraordinary elements: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the string, and the pump.Tracing the evolution from Egyptian nails to modern skyscrapers, and Neanderthal string to musical instruments, Agrawal shows us how even our most sophisticated items are built on the foundations of these ancient and fundamental breakthroughs. She explores an array of intricate technologies—dishwashers, spacesuits, microscopes, suspension bridges, breast pumps—making surprising connections, explaining how they work, and using her own hand-drawn illustrations to bring complex principles to life.Alongside deeply personal experiences, she recounts the stories of remarkable—and often uncredited—scientists, engineers, and innovators from all over the world, and explores the indelible impact these creators and their creations had on society. In preindustrial Britain, nails were so precious that their export to the colonies was banned—and women were among the most industrious nail makers. The washing machine displayed at an industrial fair in Chicago in 1898 was the only machine featured that was designed by a woman. The history of the wheel, meanwhile, starts with pottery, and takes us to India’s independence movement, where making clothes using a spinning wheel was an act of civil disobedience.Eye-opening and engaging, Nuts and Bolts reveals the hidden building blocks of our modern world, and shows how engineering has fundamentally changed the way we live.

'A fascinating celebration of the impact that structural engineering has on all our lives…[an] eye-opening book' The Sunday TimesIn BUILT, structural engineer Roma Agrawal takes a unique look at how construction has evolved from the mud huts of our ancestors to skyscrapers of steel that reach hundreds of metres into the sky. She unearths how engineers have tunnelled through kilometres of solid mountains; how they've bridged across the widest and deepest of rivers, and tamed Nature’s precious – and elusive – water resources. She tells vivid tales of the visionaries who created the groundbreaking materials in the Pantheon's record-holding concrete dome and the frame of the record-breaking Eiffel Tower. Through the lens of an engineer, Roma examines tragedies like the collapse of the Quebec Bridge, highlighting the precarious task of ensuring people's safety they hold at every step. With colourful stories of her life-long fascination with buildings – and her own hand-drawn illustrations – Roma reveals the extraordinary secret lives of structures.

Technology and engineering surround us. From HUGE things, like spaceships and skyscrapers, to much smaller things like the toaster in our kitchen and the shoes on our feet. But all of these things only exist because of seven small inventions: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the pump and ... string. And each of these inventions has a fascinating story to tell.Travel through centuries of history, through ancient Egypt, along the Silk Road, across the high seas and even into space, and discover how each of these seven small inventions came to be, how they work and how they changed the world forever. Find out how it's thanks to the potter's wheel that the International Space Station exists, and how the same nails that built pirate ships hold together the tallest buildings in the world. In this children's illustrated adaptation of her adult book, Nuts and Bolts, award-winning engineer turned bestselling author Roma Agrawal makes STEM accessible, intriguing and aspirational, and encourages children to be endlessly curious about the 'things' that make up our world.

Technology and engineering surround us. From HUGE things, like spaceships and skyscrapers, to much smaller things like the toaster in our kitchen and the shoes on our feet. But all of these things only exist because of seven small inventions: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the magnet, the lens, the pump and ... string. And each of these inventions has a fascinating story to tell.Travel through centuries of history, through ancient Egypt, along the Silk Road, across the high seas and even into space, and discover how each of these seven small inventions came to be, how they work and how they changed the world forever. Find out how it's thanks to the potter's wheel that the International Space Station exists, and how the same nails that built pirate ships hold together the tallest buildings in the world.In this children's illustrated adaptation of her adult book, Nuts and Bolts, award-winning engineer turned bestselling author Roma Agrawal makes STEM accessible, intriguing and aspirational, and encourages children to be endlessly curious about the 'things' that make up our world.

An interactive, hands-on exploration of science and the world around us, in a fantastically fun book for children aged 7+.Can you make a skyscraper out of pasta? How about a rocket from meringue? As an engineer and a BIG fan of chocolate, Roma herself has often wondered whether a bridge could be made out of chocolate. This might sound impossible (and delicious), but you don't know until you try...With seven interactive building projects, kids will find out what is possible, while learning about the science behind awe-inspiring inventions. They will also get to meet some of the world's most innovative scientists, who dare to experiment with wacky materials to create something great.Written by bestselling author and award-winning engineer Roma Agrawal, this book encourages kids to put some unexpected materials to the test. It's the perfect way to get kids excited about science - whilst having a WHOLE load of fun!

'From the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge to building on the moon, this utterly fascinating and visually stunning book is sure to build sky-scraping curiosity in young engineers' Kate Pankhurst, author of the Fantastically Great Women series'I adored reading How Was That Built? with my son. The fascinating facts and huge detailed pictures led to lots of interesting conversations for both of us. You will never take buildings for granted again!' David Walliams, comedian and children's authorAs seen on Steph’s Packed Lunch and featured in Cerys Matthew’s BBC Radio 6 Music show and ‘The Dreams We Live Inside’ on BBC Radio 4Join Roma Agrawal, the award-winning structural engineer who worked on The Shard, for an exciting behind-the-scenes look at some of the world’s most amazing landmarks.Meet the extraordinary people who challenged our beliefs about what’s possible, pioneering remarkable inventions that helped build the Brooklyn Bridge in the US, the Pantheon in Italy, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Shard in England and the Sapporo Dome in Japan. Discover the ingenious methods engineers have come up with to enable us to build underground, underwater, on ice and even in space. And learn about the impact different forces and materials can have on a structure by carrying out your own engineering experiments from the ‘Try it at Home’ sections.Beautiful and detailed illustrations by Katie Hickey, including cross-sections, skylines and close-ups of engineering techniques in action, provide unique and illuminating perspectives of our most awe-inspiring constructions.Get ready to see the built world around you like never before!'Exploring this beautiful book feels like having a conversation with Roma, full of expert insight and fascinating detail. With playful illustrations, stacks of brand-new information and plenty of context – this is children's non-fiction at its best' Isabel Thomas, science writer and author of Moth and Fox'Skilfully illustrated and filled with remarkable details, this book is a treat for any young engineer. Roma's breadth of knowledge and genuine passion shines through every page. It's simply beautiful' Angela Saini, science journalist and author'Open this book at any page and you are immediately sucked into the fascination of how things work – a wonderful achievement and a beautiful one too' Mark Miodownik, materials engineer, broadcaster and author of Stuff Matters'How Was That Built? is a brilliant and essential book … Hopefully schools and libraries will purchase the book in big numbers because it deserves to be widely read and discussed. I also think it will do a lot to encourage young people to consider a career in construction' Infrastructure-Intelligence.com

Shard engineer Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex inventions into seven fundamental objects: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump._____________'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY'Splendid. Clearly written, elegantly structured full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAIL*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE * A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR*Smartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.Tracing their journeys through the millennia, she shows us how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds. Eye-opening and engaging, Nuts and Bolts reveals the hidden building blocks of our modern world, and shows how engineering has fundamentally changed the way we live.'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS*AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*