Books by Henry Petroski
Henry Petroski, an engineering professor, writes about the history of engineering. His subjects include design, education, and the role of success and failure. Using everyday objects like pencils and paperclips to illustrate his points, his books are of interest to both general readers and engineers. Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon
This book tells the story of the Apollo program through the eyes of Harrison Storms and the other North American Aviation engineers who were on the prime contract team. A unique look at the program, and one that avoids the pro-NASA bias in most other Apollo books. Compare prices.
Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel
In "The Dilbert Principle," Adams theorized that "all people are idiots." In this latest book, he expands that premise to include "they are also weasels." Being a weasel includes wasting time while looking productive and sucking-up to the boss. Compare prices. The Dilbert Principle
Scott Adams may have written this as a parody of management books, but most engineers will probably recognize their own pointy-haired bosses and cublice-mates within these pages. Adams sums up the book in one sentence: "No matter how smart you are, you spend much of your day being an idiot." Compare prices. Engineering and the Mind's Eye
Eugene Ferguson expands on his famous essay to explore the process of engineering design. While schools focus more and more on the mechanics of analysis, good engineering requires intuition and nonverbal thinking. Compare prices. The Fullness of Wings: The Making of a New Daedalus
This is the story of the technology and people behind Daedalus, the human-powered aircraft that recreated the flight of the mythical Daedalus. Although appealing to anyone, MIT alumni and composite engineers should find this book especially interesting. The Soul of a New Machine
Tracy Kidder followed the engineers at Data General as they built a new 32-bit minicomputer in the late 1970s. Although interesting as a slice of computer history, the same team structure and project approach can be found in any engineering organization today. This has been called one of the best nonfiction books of the twentieth century. Compare prices. 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!'
Richard Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics, recounts his life through a series of humorous, anecdotal essays. You'll laugh out loud reading about his days at MIT, Los Alamos, and Cal Tech. This is not a technical book, but instead gives you real insight into one of the leading minds of our time. Compare prices. What Do You Care What Other People Think?
In this sequel to 'Surely You Must Be Joking,' Feynman mixes some more serious topics in with his usual humor. In particular, he tells us about his wife, who died at an early age of TB, and about his work on the commission that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. Compare prices.
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