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

by Henry Petroski (Author)

73 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0679734161

ISBN-10: 0679734163

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How did a simple design error cause one of the great disasters of the 1980s - the collapse of the walkways at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel? What made the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge twist apart in a mild wind in 1940? How did an oversized waterlily inspire the magnificent Crystal Palace, the crowning achievement of Victorian architecture and engineering? These are some of the failures and successes that Henry Petroski, author of the acclaimed "The Pencil," examines in this engaging, wonderfully literate book. 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.

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Editorial Reviews

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The moral of this book is that behind every great engineering success is a trail of often ignored (but frequently spectacular) engineering failures. Petroski covers many of the best known examples of well-intentioned but ultimately failed design in action -- the galloping Tacoma Narrows Bridge (which you've probably seen tossing cars willy-nilly in the famous black-and-white footage), the collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel walkways -- and many lesser known but equally informative examples. The line of reasoning Petroski develops in this book were later formalized into his quasi-Darwinian model of technological evolution in The Evolution of Useful Things, but this book is arguably the more illuminating -- and defintely the more enjoyable -- of these two titles. Highly recommended.

Review

"Reading Petroski's fine book is not only a delight, it is a necessity." --Houston Chronicle

"Serious, amusing, probing, sometimes frightening, and always literate." --Los Angeles Times

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Product details

Series: later printing
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: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 73 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Mechanical > Drafting & Mechanical Drawing
- #2 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphics & Design > CAD
- #8 in Books > Textbooks > Engineering > Civil Engineering

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Ranger D

Looking Deeper

January 14, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

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. 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. It does require some slow and careful reading by a non-engineer (like me) but still provides a clear picture of "how the heck could that have happened?" Actually, this is my second time to purchase this book; the second copy was a gift to a friend.

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F. G. Nobrega

To stumble is innevitable

February 2, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The book by Henry Petroski taught me important notions: designs constantly evolve to structures bigger, more elegant, more efficient, more economical. And this innovation always involves risk because the changes carry with it conflicting demands of safety factors versus economic considerations. Failure must be anticipated and successful design owns more to failure than success. He correctly points out that failure is also linked to our humanness. His citation of George Santayana is a great final thought: "We must welcome the future, remembering tha soon it will be past; and we must respect the past, knowing that once it was all that was humanly possible."

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Paul Foerster

Great insight into what engineers do and how they think.

July 15, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

As a high school mathematics teacher (50 years) with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in mathematics I have applied engineering principles to the art of teaching students. Petroski's book is most readable and enlightening. My wife, an artist and former English teacher, also enjoyed the book. I have given copies to students (including our granddaughter) considering engineering as a career, and to fellow teachers.

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W. J. Laudeman

If you are interested in the real world - read this book!

February 14, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Every engineer needs to understand the thee of this book -- many do not. Non-engineers will be shocked and astonished at the role of failure in the design process.

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M. Griffith

Interesting look at failure in structural engineering

December 23, 2002

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I am not really sure how I came across this book. I think it was by following relevant links on Amazon. Anyway I bought this as well as The Evolution of Useful Things at the same time. I found this a very insightful reading in light of my occupation as a software engineer. Several of my coworkers recently had an email conversation regarding the quailty of software engineered products vs. "real" engineer's and their feats of construction, bridges, airplanes and buildings all things that Petroski covers in details.
Some additional thoughts on how structural engineering is different from Enterprise Application Software Engineering:
1. --In general software is unlimited, where as Structural Engineering has natural laws. Higher level Patterns are pretty constant, where as within the created construct of software they are reinvited (Object Patterns, EJB Patterns)
2. --structures have the added requirement of no death, where as Enterprise Software only has revenue associated with it, not as powerful a motivator as death.
3. --software is interactive with behavior, where as a bridge is a bridge
[...]

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John Poet

A New Perspective

October 24, 2017

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Very good discussion -- insightful --

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Colleen Norton

Five Stars

January 25, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

fantastic book for fellow engineers or anybody really! interesting read.

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Jose Luis Villarreal Benitez

Five Stars

August 12, 2017

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Excellent

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Yes

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Most recent customer reviews

Roger

Classic

Good read for all

Published 1 month ago

Jim

easy read.

Interesting, easy read.

Published 2 months ago

Kristen Leger

Five Stars

I can't wait to gift this to my engineer bf!

Published 4 months ago

c. a. yuki k.

Good

Goodread

Published 5 months ago

love this book. every engineer should read

Published 1 year ago

Kurt A. Suleski

Four Stars

Very entertaining book.

Published 1 year ago

William

Henry Petroski is a great author. With a subject as technical as engineering

Henry Petroski is a great author. With a subject as technical as engineering, Petroski manages to create a down-to-earth narrative through historical anecdotes that all tie...Read more

Published 1 year ago

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