Since its construction 4,500 years ago for Pharaoh Khufu, the Great Pyramid of Giza has remained an engineering mystery. According to Egyptologist Brier (The Murder of Tutankhamen) and architect Houdin, the monument was designed by Khufu's brother Hemienu, an architectural genius, and built in two decades by 25,000 paid Egyptian construction workers. Having studied the structure minutely and using computer graphics to visualize every aspect of the pyramid and its construction, Houdin offers a radical proposal of how the huge limestone and granite blocks were raised: the pyramid was built from the inside out around a mile-long ramp corkscrewed up to the top, which remains in the pyramid's walls.

The Britannica Guide to Inventions That Changed the Modern World, is one title in a 4 book series that focuses on the transformative power of various movements, voyages, conceits, and outright brainstorms. A true journey into modernity, this set delves into the facts surrounding landmark decisions, actions, and inventions that have advanced cultures, inspired humankind and forever changed the way the world works. Readers will see the world in a while new light after learning about the social movements, inventions, explorers, and theories that have created our society's substrate. A detailed table of contents allows for leisure reading by subject and also acts a quick locator for research.

English | 387 pages | PDF | 5.03 Mb