Success through Failure: The Paradox of Design Paperback – February 24, 2008

Te only way to rate a book is to produce a review. Further, this is a book on "engineering". I don't consider myself enough of an engineer to do that. A statement on the experience of buying this item from Amazon is an entirely different matter. As always a product was chosen, purchased and delivered by Amazon. That has always been a pleasant thing. They continue to do it right.

Most engineers, at least at the master's level, now are exposed to Petroski's books, but if you know any young engineers who have not read them they make a marvelous graduation gift. They relate notable failures in engineering to the history and culture of their time and to the improvements that resulted from them. Some, like the Tacoma Narrows bridge, have made it to television, but the superficial and sensational treatments they receive in television programming don't compare to Petroski's thoughtful and thorough analyses.

Petroski's expertise is clearly in engineering. Right upfront I will say that I have no engineering aspirations. Yet, I found this book to be engaging and globally relevant. That is because Petroski presents a different way of thinking. Our way of learning and seeking often looks at Success. What he points out is that "success is not simply the absence of failure; it also masks potential modes of failure." If you are planning, seeking, designing -- especially where the stakes are high -- the best advisor is Failure.Using examples from engineering he demonstrates this. Most of the exemplar stories are interesting, though some get bogged down. I can't say that the book is a cogent masterpiece. His first chapter, a summary of a presentation he made, does not seem to fit the premise. Nonetheless, the book and it's perspective-shifting thesis is, in my opinion, extremely important.

As advertised

I'm using this book for my Intro to Structural Engineering class as an extra resource and it's really great. The story-like format and engaging anecdotes make for a pleasant read. It's also very well structured.I'd recommend this if you also just want an abridged history of engineering design, even though you might not be one.

I really hate how Petroski writes; a grumpier, more curmudgeonly engineer there has never been. But it's worth it - great research and a very strong perspective make this an essential ingredient for the designer mindset.

Failure isn't really failure

satisfactory

This book may have been written fifteen years ago, but the subject matter is still as relevant today as it was in 2006. Whilst it is a development of various lectures given by the author, it reads well and shows no signs of its origins. In essence it deals with the design of products, constructions and systems in modern society, their development and evolution and how in many instances their ultimate success was a direct consequence of technical or corporate failings. In case of the latter, it highlights that tampering with the design of a successful product risks alienating loyal customers and I suppose the message here is ‘If it isn’t broke – don’t fix it!’. The author has written numerous books dealing with aspects of design (and failure) from bridges to pencils and all are very readable and informative so ‘Success Through Failure’ is a worthwhile read even though it repeats much from other publications. My only negative comment is reserved for the paper quality, and also the print which was faded in several locations, which should not be the case in a revised reprint sold at a premium cost.

When I decided I wanted to do engineering, the first things I ruled out were chemical engineering and civil engineering. Since there's not an awful lot of this type of engineering book on the market (particularly from aerospace engineers), I wound up reading these to give myself a bit of background for uni interviews.They were amazing. Genuinely, I thought they'd be really dull, but Petroski has a stunning style and a way of making engineering accessible to those who aren't quite there yet. His analogies, whilst he spread them over numerous fields, had a reasonable focus on civil engineering, and I gained a new respect for the field -- in fact, given the opportunity to reapply, I might even consider applying for civil.Petroski explains things in a way I feel a good engineer should explain. You gain an appreciation of what an engineer's take on design and failure is, and are suitably entertained throughout.I'd HIGHLY recommend this book, and many of Petroski's others.

Well-written, readable, and interesting book