Henry Petroski Quotes

6 Sourced Quotes

The work of the engineer is not unlike that of the writer. How the original design for a new bridge comes to be may involve as great a leap of the imagination as the first draft of a novel.

Henry Petroski
The engineer no less than the poet sees the faults in his creations, and he learns more from his mistakes and those of others than he does from all the masterpieces created by himself and his peers.

Henry Petroski
Designing a bridge or any other large structure is not unlike planning a trip or vacation. The end may be clear and simple: to go from here to there. But the means may be limited only by our imagination.

Henry Petroski
Engineering, like poetry, is an attempt to approach perfection. And engineers, like poets, are seldom completely satisfied with their creations. They notice, even if no one else does, the word that is not quite le mot juste or the hairline crack that blemishes the structure.

Henry Petroski
The bookshelf, like the book, has become an integral part of civilization as we know it, its presence in a home practically defining what it means to be civilized, educated, and refined.

Henry Petroski
Whether or not science can be applied to that mental construct [i.e. the designed entity] is a matter of availability. If there is body of scientific knowledge that can be applied, then it would be foolish not to exploit it. However, if there is none, it does not mean that the thing cannot be designed, made, and used safely.

Henry Petroski