Achieving Zero: My life and love of Consulting Engineering

by David F. Evans, David H. Gould (Contributor)

David F. Evans's memoir follows his career from his first job as a civil engineer through the founding and growth of his consulting engineering firm, David Evans and Associates, Inc.. Evans details how the firm grew from two to over 900 people in spite of recessions, economic bubbles, and the technological transition from the drafting table and slide rule to the computer, and how the firm prepared carefully for a successful transition to the next generation of leaders. David Evans and Associates, Inc. continues as one of the largest and most successful consulting engineering firms in the United States. David's lively, humorous and compelling story is recommended reading for anyone considering a career as a consulting engineer.

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2013

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband is starting a consulting firm, so I thought we could read this book to get a sense of what this would entail.

This is an enjoyable book to read ... quick, with some good advice from Mr. Evans based on his experiences running this business. It's as if he's in the room with you, having a conversation.

While I did not feel that the book provided much in the way of specific advice, it was a pleasure to read ... and did provide some interesting information about how and why to choose a board of directors. The book was mostly just a feel-good read about how to run an honest and ethical business.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Evans's memoir tells the story of how he became a civil engineer, and built his own firm from the two founders (him and David Gould) to nearly 1,000 people. The firm is now one of the largest and most respected engineering firms in the U.S. Evans obviously loves being an engineer and encourages young people to consider making engineering their life's work Evans talk about the difficulty of keeping the firm going during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s, an event that put huge numbers of engineers, architects, developers - and the rest of us - out of work. He also describes the transition from the drafting table and slide rule to computers and digital design. it's a fun read, almost like having a conversation with the author, and has some great advice for anyone considering a career in engineering, or for young engineers who want to know what it's like to start your own firm.