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

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.

In To Engineer Is Human, Henry Petroski explores how failure shapes innovation and drives better design. From collapsing bridges to everyday objects, Petroski shows that engineering success often begins with understanding what went wrong. A must-read for anyone curious about how things are built—and why they sometimes break.

Great for engineering students, inventors, designers, and anyone fascinated by the process behind problem-solving and innovation.