A manual of engineering drawing for students and draftsmen

the long version

In beginning the study of engineering drawing (or engineering graphics, as it is now coming to be called), you are embarking upon a rewarding educational experience and one that will be of real value in your future career. When you have become proficient in it, you will have at your command a method of communication used in all branches of technical industry, a language unequaled for accurate description of physical objects. The importance of this graphic language can be seen by comparing it with word languages. All who attend elementary and high school study the language of their country and learn to read, write, and speak it with some degree of skill. In high school and college most students study a foreign language. These word languages are highly developed systems of communication. Nevertheless, any word language is inadequate for describing the size, shape, and relationship of physical objects.