26: Why Buildings Fall Down, Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori

Hideously annoying: it wants to be a pop-sci book, but it glosses over too much of the sci, yet doesn't explain some concepts enough. On top of that, Salvadori's ego shines through like a thousand suns going nova.

What a bunch of rubbish. With a good editor, this could have been brilliant.

Read the appendices, which are actually good, and skip the rest. Then pick up Gordon's Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down, which is a million times better.