Review of To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure by Henry Petroski

Henry Petroski, the Aleksander S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and Professor of History, Duke University, one of this generation’s most readable and influential authors of published works on engineering history, has done it again. This volume is another Petroski contribution that simply must be added to your library. To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure explores a multitude of topics that apply historic experience to contemporary design in the unique style common to his writings. Petroski’s creative insights are legendary and frequently cited by design and construction professionals and academics worldwide. This book continues the tradition; it will not disappoint the reader.

I have read all of Henry Petroski’s books, and have purchased them all for my personal library. I have also frequently sought out his writings published in professional/educational journals, such as Prism (American Society of Engineering Education), and quality magazines for the lay public. Some of the content of To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure has already appeared in these other publications. However, it is valuable to have these works collected in a single volume, and there is much new material here. Petroski’s writings over the years have consistently had a substantial influence on my thinking about the professional responsibilities inherent in making informed decisions that lead to successful outcomes.

The underlying theme of To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure is clear: “Successful change comes not from emulating success and trying to better it, but from learning from and anticipating failure, whether actually experienced or hypothetically imagined.” In exploring this theme, Henry Petroski provides fascinating examples, from pop-top cans to the Titanic and from little boys playing with string and chewing gum over sidewalk grates to major catastrophic oil spills. As always, Petroski demonstrates skill in writing for a wide range of audiences. The book can easily be read, understood, and appreciated by the lay public, as well as by engineers of all technical specialties.

From the specific examples detailed in the book, there are several subthemes that can be gleaned. In Chapter 1, several case histories illustrate that good design is necessary, but not sufficient, for successful performance. Chapter 2, with its focus on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle failures, highlights the potential catastrophic consequences of minor alterations to a successful design. Chapter 3 presents examples of design for planned failure or controlled failure modes. Examples are given from natural systems, such as the egg, to the contemporary concept of the structural fuse. In Chapter 4, “Mechanics of Failure,” the author provides a highly entertaining account of his professional and academic background, especially in his formative years. Chapter 5 is a fine concise history of the fracture mechanics discipline.

In Chapter 6, the emphasis is on maintenance and design for maintainability. Included is a useful review of factors that influence the longevity of bridges. Chapter 7, “Searching for a Cause,” is an informative description of the process of investigating failures. Among other examples, the investigation of West Virginia’s Point Pleasant (or Silver Bridge) failure is skillfully used. Chapter 8 is a fascinating account of the background of the Order of the Engineer and the rich tradition of the engineering profession. (I wear the ring, but until now, with ignorance of much of its meaning.) Chapter 9 presents the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge failure in Washington State and its subsequent influence on bridge engineering, and Chapter 10 discusses the more recent collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Chapter 11 details several examples of failure in vehicle design and transportation engineering. Also emphasized is the critical need for designers to anticipate foreseeable misuse. Chapter 12 is a concise, yet comprehensive, review of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil drilling accident and its impact on the environment of the Gulf of Mexico. My favorite chapter, Chapter 13, “Without a Leg to Stand On,” is a very enjoyable progression, from Petroski’s attempts as a young child to secure coins dropped in a sidewalk grate using string and chewing gum to the workings of contemporary giant tower cranes with all their design and operational intricacies.

Chapter 14 is an effective concluding chapter. The message is that basing future designs on past successes alone (even repeated successes) is not a guarantee of safety. As is the case throughout the book, Henry Petroski uses first person accounts from his own experience in addition to well-known catastrophic events to illustrate important concepts. The Titanic example is especially effective. What if the Titanic had not sunk on its maiden voyage? What if it had sailed successfully for many cross-Atlantic voyages? If the weaknesses built into the design had not been discovered early, how many other larger and more exquisite designs would have been completed based on the successes of the Titanic, yet with the same inherent flaws? The ultimate disaster resulting from the emulation of past success would have certainly been one of even more catastrophic proportions. Petroski concludes, “An overemphasis on past successes is a sure blueprint for being blindsided by future failures.”

Congratulations to Henry Petroski for another outstanding literary contribution. I believe that all engineers will find this volume to be a worthwhile purchase and an enjoyable read. At $27.95, it is surely a bargain. Compared with any other purchase you make this year, this book may provide the most information and entertainment per dollar.