Well written book explaining engineering and engineers, and how they think. There are a number of examples given to show how problems were solved by engineering principles, from the opening of Japan in the 19th century, the industrial manufacture of penicillin during World War II to the development of Pampers diapers. Questions examined include the use of outside expertise, such as anthropologists, to resolve questions of efficiency in design, and the use of feedback to identify and quantify design flaws or improvements. Other questions examined are why so many terrorists are also engineers, and why it is so difficult for many engineers to accept feedback from adjacent experts.

Well written and researched, it is an intriguing examination of modern engineering concepts and results. I recommend it for the general public, and especially for engineer's spouses, children and parents. It may give some insight into how their minds work. ( )