Publisher's Note A master explicator of the principles and processes that turn thoughts into the many things that define the material world offers an insider's look at the political and cultural dimensions of design, development, and production. 64 line illustrations. 29 halftones.
A renowned popularizer provides ten case histories that vividly depict the qualitative side of engineering. Petroski demonstrates that great engineers are driven by the desire to improve the human condition, whatever the tools they use.
Industry Reviews "By the end the reader will enthusiastically agree that 'the simplest of things can hold as much mystery and provide as many lessons about the nature of engineering as the most complex'." Washington Post Book World - Curt Suplee (12/29/1996)
"This is something of a greatest-hits collection from the man who managed to make a book about the pencil a riveting read." Wakefield