Your audiobook is waiting…
To Engineer Is Human
People who bought this also bought...
-
To Forgive Design
- Understanding Failure
- By: Henry Petroski
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I love the author, the reader of this book though...
- By Don Wright on 12-04-18
-
The Design of Everyday Things
- Revised and Expanded Edition
- By: Don Norman
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 271
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious - even liberating - audiobook, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The book works well in this format
- By CD3748 on 05-21-19
-
The Road Taken
- The History and Future of America's Infrastructure
- By: Henry Petroski
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 30
Physical infrastructure in the United States is crumbling. The American Society of Civil Engineers has, in its latest report, given American roads and bridges a grade of D and C+, respectively, and has described roughly 65,000 bridges in the United States as 'structurally deficient'. This crisis - and one need look no further than the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota to see that it is indeed a crisis - shows little sign of abating short of a massive change in attitude amongst politicians and the American public.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well put
- By Lawrence on 08-10-17
-
The Perfectionists
- How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,039
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 946
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 933
The New York Times best-selling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement - precision - in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Somewhat less than perfect
- By enya keshet on 06-19-18
-
An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management
- By: Will Larson
- Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Getting to the good solutions of complex management challenges can make the difference between fulfillment and frustration for teams, and, ultimately, the success or failure of companies. Will Larson's An Elegant Puzzle orients around the particular challenges of engineering management - from sizing teams to technical debt to succession planning - and provides a path to the good solutions.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Grow organization as Engineering Manager
- By Amazon Customer on 06-16-19
-
The Design of Everyday Things
- By: Donald A. Norman
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 942
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 792
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 788
First, businesses discovered quality as a key competitive edge; next came science. Now, Donald A. Norman, former Director of the Institute for Cognitive Science at the University of California, reveals how smart design is the new frontier. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how - and why - some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Badly needs updating
- By Sean on 10-29-11
-
To Forgive Design
- Understanding Failure
- By: Henry Petroski
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I love the author, the reader of this book though...
- By Don Wright on 12-04-18
-
The Design of Everyday Things
- Revised and Expanded Edition
- By: Don Norman
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 271
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious - even liberating - audiobook, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The book works well in this format
- By CD3748 on 05-21-19
-
The Road Taken
- The History and Future of America's Infrastructure
- By: Henry Petroski
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 30
Physical infrastructure in the United States is crumbling. The American Society of Civil Engineers has, in its latest report, given American roads and bridges a grade of D and C+, respectively, and has described roughly 65,000 bridges in the United States as 'structurally deficient'. This crisis - and one need look no further than the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota to see that it is indeed a crisis - shows little sign of abating short of a massive change in attitude amongst politicians and the American public.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well put
- By Lawrence on 08-10-17
-
The Perfectionists
- How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,039
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 946
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 933
The New York Times best-selling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement - precision - in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Somewhat less than perfect
- By enya keshet on 06-19-18
-
An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management
- By: Will Larson
- Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Getting to the good solutions of complex management challenges can make the difference between fulfillment and frustration for teams, and, ultimately, the success or failure of companies. Will Larson's An Elegant Puzzle orients around the particular challenges of engineering management - from sizing teams to technical debt to succession planning - and provides a path to the good solutions.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Grow organization as Engineering Manager
- By Amazon Customer on 06-16-19
-
The Design of Everyday Things
- By: Donald A. Norman
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 942
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 792
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 788
First, businesses discovered quality as a key competitive edge; next came science. Now, Donald A. Norman, former Director of the Institute for Cognitive Science at the University of California, reveals how smart design is the new frontier. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how - and why - some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Badly needs updating
- By Sean on 10-29-11
-
Stuff Matters
- Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World
- By: Mark Miodownik
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,475
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,052
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,039
Why is glass see-through? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does a paper clip bend? These are the sorts of questions that Mark Miodownik is constantly asking himself. A globally renowned materials scientist, Miodownik has spent his life exploring objects as ordinary as an envelope and as unexpected as concrete cloth, uncovering the fascinating secrets that hold together our physical world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Surprisingly good
- By D. MacLeod on 01-29-15
-
The Essential Engineer
- Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems
- By: Henry Petroski
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 24
From the acclaimed author of The Pencil and To Engineer Is Human, The Essential Engineer is an eye-opening exploration of the ways in which science and engineering must work together to address our world's most pressing issues, from dealing with climate change and the prevention of natural disasters to the development of efficient automobiles and the search for renewable energy sources.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome
- By Dheepan on 07-01-16
-
Ignition!
- An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants
- By: John Drury Clark, Isaac Asimov - foreward
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 325
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 294
Ignition! is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. John Drury Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of history, sharing a behind-the-scenes view of an enterprise that eventually took men to the moon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
fun science
- By joseph on 08-30-18
-
Skunk Works
- A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed
- By: Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,575
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,077
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,073
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies. Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book
- By Felipe Ferreira on 02-26-17
-
Energy
- A Human History
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 390
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 347
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 345
Through an unforgettable cast of characters, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes explains how wood gave way to coal and coal made room for oil, as we now turn to natural gas, nuclear power, and renewable energy. Rhodes looks back on five centuries of progress, through such influential figures as Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, Benjamin Franklin, Herman Melville, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Rhodes si, accents no!
- By Photino on 07-26-18
-
Thermodynamics: Four Laws That Move the Universe
- By: Jeffrey C. Grossman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jeffrey C. Grossman
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 155
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 155
Nothing has had a more profound impact on the development of modern civilization than thermodynamics. Thermodynamic processes are at the heart of everything that involves heat, energy, and work, making an understanding of the subject indispensable for careers in engineering, physical science, biology, meteorology, and even nutrition and culinary arts. Get an in-depth tour of this vital and fascinating science in 24 enthralling lectures suitable for everyone from science novices to experts who wish to review elementary concepts and formulas.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Course; Particularly as Review
- By Qoheleth on 01-12-19
-
Truth, Lies, and O-Rings
- Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
- By: Allan J. McDonald, James R. Hansen - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 26 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 122
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
On a cold January morning in 1986, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Challenger, despite warnings against doing so by many individuals including Allan McDonald. The fiery destruction of Challenger on live television moments after launch remains an indelible image in the nation's collective memory. In Truth, Lies, and O-Rings, McDonald, a skilled engineer and executive, relives the tragedy from where he stood at Launch Control Center.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn’t finish...
- By J.Brock on 07-19-19
-
Applied Minds
- How Engineers Think
- By: Guru Madhavan
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Through narratives and case studies spanning the brilliant history of engineering, Madhavan shows how the concepts of prototyping, efficiency, reliability, standards, optimization, and feedback are put to use in fields as diverse as transportation, retail, health care, and entertainment. Equal parts personal, practical, and profound, Applied Minds charts a path to a future where we apply strategies borrowed from engineering to create useful and inspired solutions to our most pressing challenges.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pay close attention
- By edward sanders on 09-21-18
-
Every Tool's a Hammer
- Lessons from a Lifetime of Making
- By: Adam Savage
- Narrated by: Adam Savage
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,019
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,867
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,855
Adam Savage is a maker. From Chewbacca’s bandolier to a 1,000-shot Nerf gun, he has built thousands of spectacular projects as a special-effects artist and the cohost of MythBusters. Adam is also an educator, passionate about instilling the principles of making in the next generation of inventors and inspiring them to turn their curiosity into creation. In this practical and passionate guide, Adam weaves together vivid personal stories, original sketches and photographs from some of his most memorable projects, and interviews with many of his iconic and visionary friends.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Paradigm Changing Book
- By Jared A. on 06-05-19
-
The Soul of a New Machine
- By: Tracy Kidder
- Narrated by: Ben Sullivan
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 413
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 376
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 377
Computers have changed since 1981, when Tracy Kidder memorably recorded the drama, comedy, and excitement of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Tech History...
- By gramma on 10-06-16
-
Thinking in Systems
- A Primer
- By: Donella H. Meadows
- Narrated by: Tia Rider Sorensen
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 552
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 461
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 454
In the years following her role as the lead author of the international best seller, Limits to Growth - the first book to show the consequences of unchecked growth on a finite planet - Donella Meadows remained a pioneer of environmental and social analysis until her untimely death in 2001. Thinking in Systems is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem-solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. Edited by the Sustainability Institute's Diana Wright, this essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent and enjoyable intro to System Dynamics
- By Sigurdur Josef Arnason on 12-01-18
-
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- By: Robert M. Pirsig
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,812
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,735
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,744
This thought-provoking journal of a man's quest for truth - and for himself - has touched and changed an entire generation, and is ready to reach out to a new one. At its heart, the story is all too simple: a man and his son take a motorcycle trip across America. But this is not a simple trip at all, for around every corner, their pilgrimage leads them to new vistas of self-discovery and renewal.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Beware of the Intro.
- By Vicente on 11-10-13
Publisher's Summary
How did a simple design error cause one of the great disasters of the 1980s - the collapse of the walkways at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel? What made the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge twist apart in a mild wind in 1940?
How did an oversized waterlily inspire the magnificent Crystal Palace, the crowning achievement of Victorian architecture and engineering? These are some of the failures and successes that Henry Petroski, author of the acclaimed The Pencil, examines in this engaging, wonderfully literate book.
More than a series of fascinating case studies, To Engineer Is Human is a work that looks at our deepest notions of progress and perfection, tracing the fine connection between the quantifiable realm of science and the chaotic realities of everyday life.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars20
-
4 Stars11
-
3 Stars2
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars16
-
4 Stars10
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars1
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars14
-
4 Stars10
-
3 Stars2
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars1
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- zachbloomfield
- 02-17-19
great book
It's a great book on the theory behind engineering failure's and their affects on future design.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Owen Grubb
- 09-21-18
Very interesting
Sometimes dry and sometimes outdated, but it did introduce many interesting outlooks on engineering that are still relevant today.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eva Liu
- 07-23-18
Good insights on the history of engineering
Mainly focusing on engineering incidents in the 20th century, the book narrates the history of engineering and technological considerations without using jargons. The insights given in the book can be applied to all fields alike. True stories are entertaining. Don’t expect very recent engineering achievements: the book was written in the 1980s! Narration is being done in brillant pace and tone. Highly recommend to all.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angel
- 06-18-18
Very useful insights
Shows how successes become failures and failure may become successes. A book I feel I will listen to for years to come.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- Waxhaw, NC, United States
- 03-29-18
What were they thinking or did they?
As an engineer with advanced degrees and 45 years of experience, this book did not tell me anything new. However, it was an interesting presentation on design failures more geared to the layman.
0 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Miss P.
- 11-18-19
Really boring!
As someone with an interest in engineering, I thought this book would be a great addition to the reading list. However I felt that most of examples are basically common sense applied back to engineering. For example the author uses the analogy of planning a trip and the different considerations required to make the point that there are many alternatives in design. The examples are painfully obvious and, worse still, over laboured. Rarely do I not finish a book but I couldn't bare to lose another minute of life to this one.