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  • To Engineer Is Human

  • The Role of Failure in Successful Design
  • Written by: Henry Petroski
  • Narrated by: Matthew Boston
  • Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (5 ratings)

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To Engineer Is Human cover art

To Engineer Is Human

Written by: Henry Petroski
Narrated by: Matthew Boston
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Publisher's Summary

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.
©1992 Henry Petroski (P)2018 Tantor
History & Culture Engineering Civil Engineering
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Engineering for the Layman

Engaging story of engineering principles understandable by anyone. Delightfully interwoven with references to literature, nursery rhymes, real life examples, etc.

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