To Engineer Is Human

A somewhat repetitive collection of case studies and essays on how past engineering failures become a driving force for innovation and invention, not events to avoid or hide.

I appreciated the emphasis on failure as a fact of life and that creativity is an iterative process driven by failures. “An engineer will always know more what not to do than what to do.” pg.105

The case studies give interesting tidbits about engineering concepts and terminology, but it isn't a book about engineering as a profession or what an engineer does on a day-to-day basis. It was more focused on bringing out the nuances and complexities a designer might face when trying out new ideas or visions.

A final chapter warns of the loss of experiential wisdom by rapid technological change. Relying on computer models that perform all the right calculations and spit out the perfect blueprint is no substitute for an experienced designer who can bring real-world knowledge to the design problem.

In general, a nice little book to learn about the history of some noteworthy engineering design failures and see the connections between failures and progress in engineering designs.