Translating technical information into layman’s language is always a difficult task. “The Day the House Fell” by Richard L. Handy is a good attempt to make engineering geology principles, examples, and practices understandable to the lay citizen through humor and simplification.
Soils problems for the homeowner is the main focus of the book. Landslides, swelling soils, foundation problems due to unstable soils, water in basements, subsidence, and many other topics are discussed in very readable form. Dr. Handy does understand the need to communicate with non-technical people, although his engineering quips may not be to everyone’s liking. I assume that he lectured in much the same style as he writes; his classes must have been interesting. I’m not sure how a student would write an examination for Dr. Handy, however.
Humor in engineering is in short enough supply that it is easy to overdo. As a geologist, I think that the book suffers a bit from forcing humor. I winced as I read passages that seemed to talk down to the audience, the forced humor only thinly disguising the old “academic attitude.”
On the other hand, when the major citizen-impacted geological engineering issues of the day are addressed in language and terms that everyone can understand, we should celebrate and send a copy of the book to every legislator we know. Let’s give a great big “HAZZAH” to Dr. Handy for using everyday metaphors and pointy zingers to describe complicated geological processes so that even lawyers can understand them.
My favorite quote is from the back cover of the book and fairly characterizes Handy’s writing style: “I appreciate Professor Handy.”—Mrs. Handy.
I didn’t necessarily enjoy reading the book at one sitting, but I did, and the information given the reader is well worth the effort. If Handy’s humor is what we must suffer through to educate the public, that’s the price we had better pay.
Acknowledgments and Associated Footnotes
(1995). Published by ASCE Press, American Society of Civil Engineers, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017-2398, 230 pp. Paperback, $20.00.
AAPG Division of Environmental Geosciences Journal Vol. 3 (1996), No. 1., Pages 55-56.
Source
http://archives.datapages.com/data/deg/1996/003001/55_deg030055.htm