a book
To Engineer Is Human
Henry Petroski · 1992 · 247 pages
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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Steven Sinofsky
“In his book, “To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design”, Henry Petroski tells the story of several awful failures. In doing so he connects the desire for perfection and the reality of progress. A must read.”↗