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

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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.
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 1992
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679734163
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679734161
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #72,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #29 in History of Engineering & Technology #44 in History of Technology #92 in Home Design & Construction (Books)
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