During the course of the book he argues that engineering is part art and part science, and that as a discipline engineers focus on building safe, affordable, and reliable things (from paper clips to airliners) to meet a set of requirements. Humans have engaged in engineering to meet their needs as long as they have had needs. The line of reasoning Petroski develops in this book were later formalized into his quasi-Darwinian model of technological evolution in, "Reading Petroski's fine book is not only a delight, it is a necessity." Don't recommend unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit around with your superficial mates strumming guitars, spending you dads cash, reminiscing about your Oxbridge mates, and pontificating about stuff you know nothing about. Petroski’s wordsmithing talent brings to life stories of structural disasters that captured headlines and created angst. I believe, and I argue in this essay, that the ideas of engineering are in fact in our bones and part of our human nature and experience. While the stories of failures date back to the 1880s, the book should occupy the library shelves of present-day engineers because of its valuable reinforcement of the importance of good peer review and the benefits of meeting a reasonable standard of care throughout the design process. “To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design,” by Henry Petroski, Vintage Books, NY, 1992. Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices. What made the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge twist apart in a mild wind in 1940? Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Whether a "zero defect" mentality is helpful or not as an ideal, it doesn't reflect how engineering actually works, at least when complex systems are involved. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. TO ENGINEER IS HUMAN: The Role of Failure in Successful Design by Henry Petroski ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1985 An engagingly candid audit of the engineering state of the art, which reaches provocative conclusions on the price of progress. Henry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, where he also serves as chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. For any professional in the human factors and/or human engineering profession who deals in root cause and accident analyses, it should be a must. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Unable to add item to List. To Engineer Is Human by Henry Petroski The subtitle of this 1985 book--The Role of Failure in Successful Design--establishes the theme of the book. Engineering failure is measured in two ways: human death toll and materials lost. Summary An introduction to engineering and what engineers do for the non-technical Key Takeaways The colossal disasters that do occur are ultimately failures of design but the lessons learned from those disasters can do more to advance engineering knowledge than all the successful machines and structures in the world. if you work in engineering sectors I really recommend it. Petroski has written over a dozen books – beginning with To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design (1985) and including a number of titles detailing the industrial design history of common, everyday objects, such as pencils, paper clips, toothpicks, and silverware. This 251-page paperback describes the engineering design process for civil engineers especially for structures like bridges and skyscrapers. Please try again. Indeed, failures appear to be inevitable in the wake of prolonged success, It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Originally published: New York : St. … Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. The current infrastructure debacle in the U.S. makes me think we're on track to repeat all of the mistakes of the past, but maybe there's still hope to avoid a few repeats. T-O Engineers' in-house environmental team provides more than 40 years of combined experience with a broad range of capabilities to deliver the resources you need to evaluate, permit, and construct projects that require environmental compliance. Petroski is known for detailed accounts of the material word -- perhaps best exemplified by The Evolution of Useful Things. More than a series of fascinating case studies, To Engineer is Human is a work that looks at our deepest notions of progress and perfection, tracing the fine connection between the quantifiable realm of science and the chaotic realities of everyday life. x. This is an excellent study of how seemingly excellent designs can result in catastrophic failures. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. This is a video for the "Engineering For You" video contest. More than a series of fascinating case studies, To Engineer is Human is a work that looks at our deepest notions of progress and perfection, tracing the fine connection between the quantifiable realm of science and the chaotic realities of everyday life. Fracture accounts for $100 billion annually. show more Any engineering curriculum ought to include this book, but anyone can find all sorts of good historical nuggets to take away from it. Please try again. 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