Henry Petroski’s previous bestsellers have delighted readers with intriguing stories about the engineering marvels around us, from the lowly pencil to the soaring suspension bridge. In this book, Petroski delves deeper into the mystery of invention, to explore what everyday artifacts and sophisticated networks can reveal about the way engineers solve problems.
Engineering entails more than knowing the way things work. What do economics and ecology, aesthetics and ethics, have to do with the shape of a paper clip, the tab of a beverage can, the cabin design of a turbojet, or the course of a river? How do the idiosyncrasies of individual engineers, companies, and communities leave their mark on projects from Velcro® to fax machines to waterworks? Invention by Design offers an insider’s look at these political and cultural dimensions of design and development, production and construction.
Readers unfamiliar with engineering will find Petroski’s enthusiasm contagious, whether the topic is the genesis of the Ziploc® baggie or the averted collapse of Manhattan’s sleekest skyscraper. And those who inhabit the world of engineering will discover insights to challenge their customary perspective, whether their work involves failure analysis, systems design, or public relations. Written with the flair that readers have come to expect from his books, Invention by Design reaffirms Petroski as the master explicator of the principles and processes that turn thoughts into the many things that define our made world.
Henry Petroski was the Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Paper Clips and Design
Pencil Points and Analysis
Zippers and Development
Aluminum Cans and Failure
Facsimile and Networks
Airplanes and Computers
Water and Society
Bridges and Politics
Buildings and Systems
References and Further Reading
Illustration Credits
Index
What People are Saying About This
Through fascinating case histories, Henry Petroski has vividly depicted the qualitative side of engineering and in doing so has shown me that my work (especially in the area of product design) is often akin to engineering, while what engineers do is often also--no question about it--art. Though the problems that engineers and inventors set out to solve may be different from those of other design specialists, Invention by Design proves that the many design decisions in which engineers are involved are as heavily influenced by the intangibly aesthetic as by the purely functional. Mr. Petroski demonstrates in this well-rounded, accessible volume that great engineers, like all designers, are driven by the desire to improve the human condition, whatever the tools they use.
Michael Graves
Through fascinating case histories, Henry Petroski has vividly depicted the qualitative side of engineering and in doing so has shown me that my work (especially in the area of product design) is often akin to engineering, while what engineers do is often also--no question about it--art. Though the problems that engineers and inventors set out to solve may be different from those of other design specialists, Invention by Design proves that the many design decisions in which engineers are involved are as heavily influenced by the intangibly aesthetic as by the purely functional. Mr. Petroski demonstrates in this well-rounded, accessible volume that great engineers, like all designers, are driven by the desire to improve the human condition, whatever the tools they use. — Michael Graves, Architect
Donald A. Norman
Henry Petroski does it again: bringing engineering to life. Engineering design is a very human activity, with social and cultural factors playing as much a role as science and mechanics. Nobody tells the story better than Petroski, with his meticulously researched case histories of objects that range from the small and ordinary to the large and complex. Our understanding of design is, once again, made richer and more profound.
— Donald A. Norman, Vice President, Apple Computer, and author of Things That Make Us Smart
Hans Moravec
Whales and parrots host large, rapidly evolving vocal traditions. Beavers and termites construct elaborate artifacts. Humans alone combine these two facilities to rapidly evolve artifacts. Engineering may be the most uniquely human endeavor. Petroski's compelling new book raises our consciousness to this truth, with case studies ranging from the gripping story of paper clips to the elevating tale of skyscrapers. Also here is a hint of things to come, as our artifacts play an ever greater role in their own evolution. — Hans Moravec, author of Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence (Harvard)
Norman R. Augustine
Magicians are famous for keeping their 'tricks' a secret. Inventors and engineers are often thought to have the same attitude about their often remarkable technological achievements. Ask a person on the street how zippers, pop-top aluminum cans, or fax machines work, and you're likely to get a shrug and an anguished admission: 'I don't even know how to program my VCR.' At last, the always enlightening--and entertaining--Henry Petroski explains many of the more confounding technological riddles of modern life in Invention by Design. This is a delightful book and a 'must read' for anyone who wants to know how the modern world got to be the way it is. — Norman R. Augustine, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation
