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To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design

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Henry Petroski (Author)
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Henry Petroski (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 66 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0679734161
ISBN-10: 0679734163
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (March 31, 1992)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0679734163
  • ISBN-13: 978-0679734161
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsAn Interesting Topic with Repetitive Examples
By D. Prorok on June 11, 2000
Format: Paperback
To Engineer is Human is a surprisingly relevant book, despite being 15 years old now. Some of the examples may tax the memories of younger engineers and engineering students, but that's exactly the point of this book, to emphasize the nature of engineering: improving what has already been done in the past.

I, too, found the repetitive references to a limited number of examples tiring; I suspect this was done because Petroski had prior knowledge of these case studies and wished to minimize his research by drawing on what he knew about before writing. As an amateur historian of technology, I was also disappointed that few earlier historical examples were treated in any depth, the Crystal Palace being a notable exception.

The book is an easy read. Henry Petroski's prose is easy to grasp and flows well, holding the reader's interest, despite the repetition.
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4.0 out of 5 starsAccessible even to my grandmother
By B L Lan on April 20, 2001
Format: Paperback
In this enlightening book, Petroski, who is professor of civil engineering, has succeeded admirably in conveying what engineering is and what engineers do in a manner that is accessible even to my grandmother, i.e., the general public. His presentation, although somewhat repetitive, is clear and sprinkled judiciously with humor. Moreover, it is illustrated with familiar analogies, and also numerous mechanical and civil engineering examples including everyday objects such as paper clips, toys and knives.
To engineer is to design, `making something that has not existed before'. Petroski provides insights into the design process (which involves computers extensively nowadays) and its limitations, and also the means employed by engineers to prevent failures in their designs.
He emphasizes, however, that it is not possible to anticipate all possible ways a design can fail and thus failures inevitably occur because engineers are, after all, humans. Numerous examples of catastrophic structural failures throughout history are presented and discussed. All involved the tragic loss of lives (for instance, the collapse of two crowded suspended walkways onto the crowded floor of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency hotel in 1981) except the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in Washington State in 1940.
Petroksi also discusses the failure analysis or forensic engineering that is performed in the wake of a catastrophic design failure to understand how and why the failure occurred. He argues convincingly throughout the book that understanding such design failures can advance engineering more than successes. Design failures, like other failures in life, should be embraced, rather than denied or ignored, and learned from. Great engineers, and great people in general, are the ones who heed George Santayana's famous dictum: `Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'
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4.0 out of 5 starsWhy can't a car be built that is totally crash-proof?
By Joanna D. #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on February 14, 2001
Format: Paperback
The answer is well explained in this book. By the time you built such a car, it might be so heavy it couldn't move!
The real interest in this book are the analyses of various disasters that should have been planned for, but weren't.
The most terrible engineering disaster (and the reason I bought this book) was the collapse of the sky walkway in a hotel in Kansas City in the 1980's. I was just returning from KC when I heard the horrific news on the radio. The skyway collapsed during a dance, killing hundreds and injuring more in a dreadful disaster. I was very upset by this terrible event. Why did this happen?
The explanation in "To Engineer Is Human" is really brilliant; the walkway was designed "properly" with a bolt that went through the beam supporting it. But it could not be built as designed because the bolt couldn't be installed in the vertical support. Instead, the builders split the vertical support into two parts in order to install two bolts, and each part was then able to move independently, causing a shear force that eventually led to the disaster. A brilliant analysis and one that showed that despite correct design, the plan must be able to be implemented to work--or else the execution of the plan may doomed to disastrous failure.
That lesson is really important when you are engineering anything, even software. You may specify an important feature, but if the R&D department cannot implement the plan, the product may fail to meet its goals, even be defective.
The book is a bit "thin"--I wanted more and wished it were longer and had more detail, but I will say it makes its point and memorably so. After reading it, your eyes will be opened to how things are designed, how things fail and how engineering affects our lives.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWhat every engineer and designer should know...
By A Customer on June 28, 1997
Format: Paperback
Why do buildings and bridges suddenly collapse, or why do airplanes fall out
of the sky ? Even though since the start of the industrial revolution the
relative number of disastrous accidents has gone down, it is still a daily
event.

Some great examples are given (most prominently the walkway of a Houston
hotel that collapsed during the opening ceremony) with pictures and detailed
analysis. Great stuff even for non civil-engineers since with some
imagination you may learn some more general design lessons.

The editorial side of the book is less impressing, most facts and
interpretations are repeated 3 or 4 times throughout the book (excluding the
introduction and back flap) so I never got further than 3 quarters into it,
preventing myself from another deja vu.

In any way, a veryimportant and useful read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsLooking Deeper

This is an excellent study of how seemingly excellent designs can result in catastrophic failures. The explanations are clear and not so long as to be overwhelmingly. Read more

Published 6 days ago by Dolores Morisseau
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Great book for engineers to read.

Published 2 months ago by Fred
3.0 out of 5 starsMine has holes in the cover.

The content is great. The copy that I received had two holes in the cover. One hole extended through the pages all the way into page 4 of the first chapter.

Published 3 months ago by Dog Owner
5.0 out of 5 starsStill relevant today. After all these years the book ...

Still relevant today.

After all these years the book is in need of a rewrite. Some of the mysteries have been revealed. Read more

Published 6 months ago by William R. Corcoran, PhD, PE
1.0 out of 5 starsOne Star

This book is dated and not well written.

Published 6 months ago by Rick
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

I enjoyed this book as I have every other book that Perroski has written.

Published 17 months ago by Edmond M Koury
3.0 out of 5 starsGets dull after a while

Really applies only to civil engrs. Gets dull after a while.

Published 22 months ago by Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

I bought this as a gift for my husband, he likes it.

Published 23 months ago by Jessica
5.0 out of 5 starsTo stumble is innevitable

The book by Henry Petroski taught me important notions: designs constantly evolve to structures bigger, more elegant, more efficient, more economical. Read more

Published 23 months ago by F. G. Nobrega
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

loved reading about all this history = henry petroski is the man!

Published on December 22, 2014 by Virginia Braley

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