Lessons amid the Rubble: An Introduction to Post-Disaster Engineering and Ethics (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Technology) - Softcover

Book 3 of 5: Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Technology

Pfatteicher, Sarah K.A.

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9780801897207: Lessons amid the Rubble: An Introduction to Post-Disaster Engineering and Ethics (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Technology)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0801897203 ISBN 13: 9780801897207
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010

Synopsis

The aftermath of September 11, 2001, brought the subject of engineering-failure forensics to public attention as had no previous catastrophe. In keeping with the engineering profession's long tradition of building a positive future out of disasters, Lessons amid the Rubble uses the collapse of the World Trade Center towers to explore the nature and future of engineering education in the United States.

Sarah K. A. Pfatteicher draws on historical and current practice in engineering design, construction, and curricula to discuss how engineers should conceive, organize, and execute a search for the reasons behind the failure of man-made structures. Her survey traces the analytical journey engineers take after a disaster and discusses the technical, social, and moral implications of their work. After providing an overview of the investigations into the collapse of the Twin Towers, Pfatteicher explores six related events to reveal deceptively simple lessons about the engineering enterprise, each of which embodies an ethical dilemma at the heart of the profession. In tying these themes together, Pfatteicher highlights issues of professionalism and professional identity infused in engineering education and encourages an explicit, direct conversation about their meaning.

Sophisticated and engagingly written, this volume combines history, engineering, ethics, and philosophy to provoke a deep discussion about the symbolic meaning of buildings and other structures and the nature of engineering.

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About the Author

Sarah K. A. Pfatteicher is the Executive Director of Five Colleges, Incorporated―a consortium of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst―and serves on the executive committee of the Association for Collaborative Leadership.

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Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date
2010
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0801897203
ISBN 13 
9780801897207
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
192
Rating
  • 4.14 out of 5 stars
    7 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780801897191: Lessons amid the Rubble: An Introduction to Post-Disaster Engineering and Ethics (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Technology)

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ISBN 10:  080189719X ISBN 13:  9780801897191
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010
Hardcover