Mechanical Books for Engineers – Job Skills

In this article, I list the Mechanical Books for Engineers to enhance their job skills and have successful careers. Before I provide the book list, let me briefly explain what mechanical engineering is and why mechanical engineers should read books.



What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the design, prototyping, production, service, and maintenance of machinery and mechanical systems. It involves the application of principles of physics, materials science, and engineering design to develop and produce mechanical components, devices, and systems. Mechanical engineers work predominantly in the manufacturing domain. Automobiles, Aerospace, Power plants, medical devices, and robotics are a few industries associated with the manufacturing domain.


Why should mechanical engineers read books?

Mechanical engineers read books as part of their academic curriculum. However, Mechanical engineers read books to:

  • Stay up to date with industry advancements and technology.
  • Expand their knowledge base and problem-solving skills.
  • Develop a broader understanding of engineering principles and theories.
  • Improve communication and leadership skills.
  • Enhance their overall professional growth and career advancement opportunities.

Effective Books for Mechanical Engineers to Enhance Job Skills

These books are the ones that I have referred to during my 20+ years of work experience.


1) Tool Design by Cyril Donaldson

This book is a must if you want to be a tool designer. This book offers real word tool design problems, which could be used not only for learning but also for your personal projects, mini projects, and final year projects.

The book is designed for students of Mechanical Engineering, covering important fundamental design aspects of tools like jigs, fixtures, press tools, and many more. I have referred to this book to understand the fundamentals of tool design throughout my career.

Click on the link below to buy this book on Amazon


2) Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design

This book is a must if you want to be a product designer. This book offers design calculations to solve real-world product design problems.

This book covers the basics of machine design, including the design process, engineering Mechanics and materials, failure prevention under static and variable loading, and characteristics of the principal mechanical elements.

Click on the link below to buy this book on Amazon.


3) Fundamentals of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing by Alex Krulikowski

This is a must-have book for all mechanical engineers working as design, manufacturing, and quality engineers.

Contents of this Book:

Section I: INTRODUCTION TO DIMENSIONING AND TOLERANCING. Engineering Drawings. Introduction to Dimensioning and Tolerancing. Coordinate Tolerances and Geometric Tolerances. Dimensioning Symbols.

Section II: GEOMETRIC TOLERANCING FUNDAMENTALS. Key Terms used in Geometric Tolerancing. Modifiers and Symbols used in Geometric Tolerancing. The Geometric Tolerancing System Rules. The Geometric Tolerancing System Concepts.

Section III: FORM TOLERANCES. Flatness. Straightness. Circularity. Cylindricity.

Section IV: THE DATUM SYSTEM. Datum System Concepts. Datum Targets. Size Datum Features (RMB). Size Datum Features (MMB).

Section V: ORIENTATION TOLERANCES. Perpendicularity. Angularity. Parallelism.

Section VI: LOCATION TOLERANCES. Position Introduction. Position Applications. Position Calculations Fixed and Floating Fastener Formulas. Position Applications Advanced.

Section VII: RUNOUT AND CONCENTRICITY, AND SYMMETRY TOLERANCES. Circular Runout. Total Runout. Concentricity. Symmetry.

Section VIII: PROFILE TOLERANCES. Profile Introduction. Profile of a Surface. Profile of a Line.

Section IX: APPENDICES.


All the Very Best. I wish you GREAT SUCCESS in your Job Search.