Items related to To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure

To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure - Hardcover

  • 3.53 out of 5 stars
    216 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780674065840: To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure

Synopsis

When planes crash, bridges collapse, and automobile gas tanks explode, we are quick to blame poor design. But Henry Petroski says we must look beyond design for causes and corrections. Known for his masterly explanations of engineering successes and failures, Petroski here takes his analysis a step further, to consider the larger context in which accidents occur.

In To Forgive Design he surveys some of the most infamous failures of our time, from the 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse and the toppling of a massive Shanghai apartment building in 2009 to Boston's prolonged Big Dig and the 2010 Gulf oil spill. These avoidable disasters reveal the interdependency of people and machines within systems whose complex behavior was undreamt of by their designers, until it was too late. Petroski shows that even the simplest technology is embedded in cultural and socioeconomic constraints, complications, and contradictions.

Failure to imagine the possibility of failure is the most profound mistake engineers can make. Software developers realized this early on and looked outside their young field, to structural engineering, as they sought a historical perspective to help them identify their own potential mistakes. By explaining the interconnectedness of technology and culture and the dangers that can emerge from complexity, Petroski demonstrates that we would all do well to follow their lead.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Henry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and Professor of History at Duke University.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Buy Used

Condition: Good
With dust jacket. It's a preowned...
View this item

FREE shipping within U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780674416826: To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0674416821 ISBN 13:  9780674416826
Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Har..., 2014
Softcover

Search results for To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover First Edition

Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. First Edition. With dust jacket. It's a preowned item in good condition and includes all the pages. It may have some general signs of wear and tear, such as markings, highlighting, slight damage to the cover, minimal wear to the binding, etc., but they will not affect the overall reading experience. Seller Inventory # 0674065840-11-1-29

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 6.66
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Harvard University Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover First Edition

Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Condition: Very Good. 1st. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 6033158-6

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 7.05
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Harvard University Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover First Edition

Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Condition: Good. 1st. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 6420520-6

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 7.05
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 3 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: Hawking Books, Edgewood, TX, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Condition: Very Good. Very Good Condition. Five star seller - Buy with confidence! Seller Inventory # X0674065840X2

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.27
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Harvard University Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0674065840I3N01

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.48
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Seller Image

Petroski, Henry
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: Bay State Book Company, North Smithfield, RI, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Condition: good. The book is in good condition with all pages and cover intact, including the dust jacket if originally issued. The spine may show light wear. Pages may contain some notes or highlighting, and there might be a "From the library of" label. Boxed set packaging, shrink wrap, or included media like CDs may be missing. Seller Inventory # BSM.PAU7

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.48
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Harvard University Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0674065840I4N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.48
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Harvard University Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0674065840I3N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.48
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
Published by Belknap Press, 2012
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: Half Price Books Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_414055441

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 5.00
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 3.49
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Petroski, Henry
ISBN 10: 0674065840 ISBN 13: 9780674065840
Used Hardcover

Seller: HPB-Emerald, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_430361362

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 5.00
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 3.75
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

There are 5 more copies of this book

View all search results for this book