Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing

by Henry Petroski

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.

Genres: Engineering, Nonfiction, Design, Science, Technology, Stem, Business

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Henry Petroski was an American engineer specializing in failure analysis. A professor both of civil engineering and history at Duke University, he was also a prolific author.

Reviews

[Grant]

It was nice to see the evolution of the design of the paper clip, bridges, etc. However it would have been a lot better if it were more technically oriented than having the author simple tell us the absolute basics and moving on.

[Alex Ankarr]

Yeah loved it. What a geezer, monomania alert!

[Babak Ghadiri]

کتابهای هنری پتروسکی را آقای الن کی (از بزرگترین و تاثیرگذارترین افراد در زمینه مهندسی نرم افزار) در جواب یکی از سوالها در سایت Quora به عنوان نویسنده ای ارزشمند در زمینه کتابهای مهندسی معرفی کرده است. در این کتاب تاریخچه شکل گیری تعدادی از محصولات مهندسی معاصر بیان میشود. در هر فصل به همراه بیان نحوه پیدایش یک محصول، اهمیت یک مبحث یا بافتار تاثیرگذار در مهندسی تا حدی توضیح داده میشود. بسیار کتاب جالب و لذتبخشی است. مخصوصا برای مهندسین (فارغ از گرایش) و افراد generalist میتواند خیلی آموزنده باشد.
اسم فصلهای کتاب به این شکل است:
- مقدمه
- گیره کاغذ و طراحی
- نوک مداد و تحلیل
- زیپ و ساختن
- قوطی آلومینیومی و خرابی
- دستگاه فکس و شبکه ها
- هواپیما و کامپیوترها
- آب و جامعه
- پلها و سیاست
- ساختمانها و سیستمها

[Rick Sam]

An excellent introductory book to Invention and Engineering. It seems fascinating to think, how simple a paper-clip could be iterated and had about 1000 patents. For every product, one could list the defects and then find a way to improvise it.

Petroski walks you through paper-clips, pencil-point, zippers, aluminum cans, facsimile, airplanes, water and society, bridges and buildings. Engineering comes into the context of political, social, economic context too. He gives an example of SF bridge.

My favorite chapter has been water and society. Worth giving a read to understand historical aspects of Engineering and invention

--Deus Vult
Gottfried

[Kent Archie]

The focus of the book is how engineers approach problems. You will learn much about bridges and the distribution of forces, buildings that sway in the wind and why pencils points break.
And who knew that paperclips are so complicated and varied.

[Jed]

An interesting topic to explore, but found this to be too superficial. And some of the examples he built chapters around d were positively painful. The chapter on airplanes was good and some insights into aluminum cans were amusing.

[David Dranchak]

Henry Petroski provides a holistic view of the invention process. Petroski does a decent job at acknowledging how complex the design and engineering process is, and why it is important to have a multidisciplinary approach. Petroski chooses nine different case studies to defend his thesis.

"Henry Petroski is an American civil engineering professor at Duke University where he specializes in failure analysis." To learn more about Henry Petroski read his article on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pe...

[P S]

I loved reading this book. It's a great introduction to many different aspects of inventions and inventing.

[John]

3.5/5

I wondered if this would hold my attention, but then before you know it you've read fifty pages on how paperclips are made.

It can be summed up as - engineers are REALLY geeky and think about weird, tiny details... and that's great for everyone else, as a whole.

On the whole it was pretty readable but some of the later chapters - particularly the building and aircraft ones - sort of felt like they were just written from regurgitated Press Releases.

The book also stopped very abruptly. It would've been nice to have an overall conclusion.

[Mark Isaak]

Petroski explores many of the aspects of engineering that affect the origins and development of new things. The chapters address nine different items: paper clips, pencil points, zippers, aluminum cans, fax machines, airplanes, water supplies, bridges, and skyscrapers. Up through the fax machines, the chapters were focused enough to be particularly interesting, but the later chapters covered such wide subjects that they gave only superficial overviews. The writing was entertaining throughout, and someone with little prior exposure to engineering might prefer the overviews.

[ماهي]

Amazing book! I wish I had read it years ago, before graduation. Many inspirational thoughts about the purposes of creating and "engineering" different systems, how to develop ideas and "why" engineers care to improve them. Designing systems to be not just economically efficient, but also to care about environment and people who will use such systems. How to design a system to "fail properly" and what factors that may affect this. You can't be bored while reading this book.

[Guacamolen]

Good book on the subjects it covers, and each subject talks in depth about the engineering standards behind it. I am not an engineer, but I did understand and enjoy the material that I read.

[Grace]

Invention by Design started out as a random book that I picked up at a used bookstore. I don't remember where, but obviously it was over a year ago (because that's when I started reading this). I do remember that I picked it up and was immediately taken by the idea of engineering discussed in a different way: a perspective of use and ties to our cultural and societal dealings.

And that's exactly what it is.

Invention by Design takes you through the exploration of engineering methods from paper clips to aluminium cans, then explores further using such things as bridges to show the concept of politics and economics as important measures or skyscrapers as mini cities. Compared to a uni textbook, this is the way that you could introduce the topic to someone that isn't already an engineering geek.

Honestly, I loved the way Petroski weaved history, engineering, and culture. It felt like story time every time I picked up the book, but the story lacked princesses and princes. Some kings, though, especially when talking about the more ancient parts of history. If you're a history of science and technology person, this is a good book to dive into.

[Dino Keran]

The writer has a good way of describing the history of design, I would have loved if the book had more engineering inside of it. Book is basically a history of certain items being developed with a small insights of how engineers should think. I have personally found the chapter about bridges to be too focused on the drama (politics) of building bridges and not the science you would need (at least some basics of Statics).

Best part of the book was seeing how much types of paper clips have been "designed" until we got where we are. I have enjoyed a nice insight in necessity of failure in the chapter about Aluminum.

[Nik]

"Invention by Design" illustrates different aspects of the practice of engineering with each chapter focusing on specific familiar product/project of increasing scale and complexity.
As someone with a design background, I found myself drawn to the picture of engineers as world-shapers, builders. What I found most refreshing, in contrast to the story of architecture, there aren't "Heros" of engineering. Most of the world is built through the gradual improvement of many minds seeing a tiny way to improve something in the world.

[Sylvia McIvers]

Reread. Fell off my shelf while I was getting something else.

Very readable overview of how some things - from pencil point & paperclips the pop-top soda can to computers and airplanes - were invented because someone was annoyed improved over something, spent time to do something about it - and then someone else decided that this new thing could be improved upon.

[Dena Burnett]

Not Petrozki's best work.
It gives a good overview of the design process for non-engineers. It oversimplifies it for engineers. I learned a few new trivial things, but not enough for me to recommend it.

[William]

About as good as it gets when it comes to trying to understand 'How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing' as he puts it himself. You don't have to be an engineer - just someone interested in how things get made.

[Scott]

Another great thought book by Henry Petroski. His collection of books on ideas is a superb series for Engineers.

[Jennifer]

A recent choice in my book club. Interesting and inspiring. Never thought about the design of a paper clip.

[Mohamed Alsaid]

insights for some ideas transformed from theory to practical.paper clip, fax machine, cans, zippers airplane , computers and constructions of bridges

[Lori Grant]

A must-read book on product design for knowledge workers and entrepreneurs.

[Gus Lackner]

The book is merely a source for trivia and inspiration. I felt compelled to fill the margins.