Henry Petroski (1942–2023) was the Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at Duke University. His many books include To Engineer Is Human, The Evolution of Useful Things, The Pencil, and The Toothpick. From the acclaimed author and engineer, an engaging and lively account of the surprising secret of great design Design pervades our lives. Everything from drafting a PowerPoint presentation to planning a state-of-the-art...

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...