Verulam (readers' letters – October 2014)

Despite a lack of experimental examples, Tianjian Ji considers this a useful reference book for researchers and those who find the conventional viscous damping model insufficient in their practical design and analysis.

Institution Fellow, Bob Wodehouse, enjoyed this comprehensive coverage of London Underground's 150-year design history.

From early years assisting mercurial genius Peter Rice to acting as engineer for man-of-the-moment Thomas Heatherwick's Garden Bridge in London, he has worked with the greats of engineering and architecture. Now Tristram Carfrae, the designer of the stunning Beijing Olympic Aquatic Centre, is confirmed as one too, as the 2014 recipient of the Institution's Gold Medal.