Overview

In 1742, the famous dome atop Saint Peter's Basilica, designed by Michelangelo, is fractured and threatened with collapse. The dome is the pride of Italy and the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. And no one knows how to fix it. This engaging and colorful narrative tells the overlooked story of how Michelangelo's dome was saved from disaster by three mathematicians and Pope Benedict XIV, who had asked them for help. It is a gripping story of decisive leadership, crisis management, and scientific innovation, and the resistance that was faced when sailing into the headwinds of conventional thought. In this book, Stanford-trained engineer Wayne Kalayjian illustrates how new ideas in science and mathematics established an entirely new way of looking at the world--as well as solving its complex problems. In the end, listeners will appreciate that in saving Michelangelo's dome from collapse, these three mathematicians and one determined pope unknowingly invented the profession of engineering as we practice it today. With it, they transformed the architectural world and ushered in generations of future buildings and structures that, otherwise, would never have been built.

Full Product Details

9798228382565

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A marvelous tale, full of vivid characters whom Kalayjian portrays with gusto."" -- ""American Scholar"" ""Expertly narrated by Peter Noble, the narrative focuses on the competing proposals for arresting the dome's widening cracks...The effort and ingenuity are fascinating, and Noble is the ideal voice for the story: steady, supple, keenly attuned to the weight and value of every word."" -- ""AudioFile"" ""Kalayjian keeps suspense in his entertaining story."" -- ""New York Journal of Books"" ""Propulsively blends a chronicle of one of the world's most famous architectural achievements with the story of the birth of modern engineering."" -- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""The reader gets a strong understanding of the cultural, political, and scientific environment from ca. 1590 to 1748. Very well written."" -- ""Choice Magazine""

Author Information

Wayne Kalayjian is a civil and structural engineer who has designed bridges, buildings, tunnels, airports, pipelines, railroads, data centers, and power stations around the world. He lectures at the University of Southern California and is an engineering expert for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and art history from Tufts University, a master's degree in structural engineering from Stanford University, and a master's degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Saving Michelangelo's Dome: How Three Mathematicians and a Pope Sparked an Architectural Revolution is his first book. Peter Noble is an Audie Award-winning narrator who has recorded hundreds of audiobooks and audio dramas, including the 2021 Booker Prize winner, as well as Audible and New York Times bestsellers. Peter is a brain injury survivor, and has a unique understanding of the music of language. He was born in South Africa, in a valley Alan Paton called ""lovely beyond any singing of it."" He grew up traveling and studied music and drama at the University of Cape Town. In South Africa, Peter worked in the theater, touring the country with a small repertory company, as well as appearing on radio, TV, and film. Peter moved to London to study classical acting at LAMDA. He went on to train as a singer at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was part of the second graduating cohort of the legendary RAM Musical Theatre program. He also has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. He lives just outside of London, in Hertfordshire. Peter Noble is an Audie Award-winning narrator who has recorded hundreds of audiobooks and audio dramas, including the 2021 Booker Prize winner, as well as Audible and New York Times bestsellers. Peter is a brain injury survivor, and has a unique understanding of the music of language. He was born in South Africa, in a valley Alan Paton called ""lovely beyond any singing of it."" He grew up traveling and studied music and drama at the University of Cape Town. In South Africa, Peter worked in the theater, touring the country with a small repertory company, as well as appearing on radio, TV, and film. Peter moved to London to study classical acting at LAMDA. He went on to train as a singer at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was part of the second graduating cohort of the legendary RAM Musical Theatre program. He also has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. He lives just outside of London, in Hertfordshire.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available