Invention by Design

Invention by Design

Author: Henry Petroski

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 9780674463684

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Petroski delves deep into the mystery of invention, to explore what everyday artifacts and sophisticated networks can reveal about the way engineers solve problems.


The Art of Invention

The Art of Invention

Author: Steven J. Paley

Publisher: Prometheus Books

Published: 2011-03

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1616142715

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Chinese edition of The art of invention:The Creative Process of Discovery and Design by Steven J. Paley. In Traditional Chinese. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.


Design

Design

Author: Jessica Helfand

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2016-01-01

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 0300205090

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A compelling defense for the importance of design and how it shapes our behavior, our emotions, and our lives Design has always prided itself on being relevant to the world it serves, but interest in design was once limited to a small community of design professionals. Today, books on "design thinking" are best sellers, and computer and Web-based tools have expanded the definition of who practices design. Looking at objects, letterforms, experiences, and even theatrical performances, award-winning author Jessica Helfand asserts that understanding design's purpose is more crucial than ever. Design is meaningful not because it is pretty but because it is an intrinsically humanist discipline, tethered to the very core of why we exist. For example, as designers collaborate with developing nations on everything from more affordable lawn mowers to cleaner drinking water, they must take into consideration the full range of a given community's complex social needs. Advancing a conversation that is unfolding around the globe, Helfand offers an eye-opening look at how designed things make us feel as well as how--and why--they motivate our behavior.


Invention and Evolution

Invention and Evolution

Author: M. J. French

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1994-09-15

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9780521469111

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This textbook for engineering students provides an introduction to design for function, using many examples of manufactured artefacts and living organisms to demonstrate common themes and fundamental principles. Examples forcefully illustrate the importance of the basic design principles related to materials, energy and information. The author also discusses the relation of aesthetic and functional design, the crucial relation of design to production in artefacts, and reproduction in organisms. The book concludes with a brief summary of the role and requirements of designers and inventors. This second edition has been extensively revised, with more examples and a new chapter with actual design case studies to illustrate key ideas. In addition, many exercises have been added to help reinforce important points in the text.


To Forgive Design

To Forgive Design

Author: Henry Petroski

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2012-04-13

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 0674065433

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Argues that failures in structural engineering are not necessarily due to the physical design of the structures, but instead a misunderstanding of how cultural and socioeconomic constraints would affect the structures.


Success Through Failure

Success Through Failure

Author: Henry Petroski

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2018-05-29

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0691180997

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This book examines the importance of engineering design as well as society's ability to respond to design flaws.


The Pencil

The Pencil

Author: Henry Petroski

Publisher: Knopf

Published: 1992-11-10

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 0679734155

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Henry Petroski traces the origins of the pencil back to ancient Greece and Rome, writes factually and charmingly about its development over the centuries and around the world, and shows what the pencil can teach us about engineering and technology today.


Steven Caney's Invention Book

Steven Caney's Invention Book

Author: Steven Caney

Publisher:

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780894800764

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A project book for the would-be inventor with activities, a list of "contraptions" in need of invention, and the stories behind thirty-six existing inventions.


Small Things Considered

Small Things Considered

Author: Henry Petroski

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2007-12-18

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0307427803

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Why has the durable paper shopping bag been largely replaced by its flimsy plastic counterpart? What circuitous chain of improvements led to such innovations as the automobile cup holder and the swiveling vegetable peeler? With the same relentless curiosity and lucid, witty prose he brought to his earlier books, Henry Petroski looks at some of our most familiar objects and reveals that they are, in fact, works in progress. For there can never be an end to the quest for the perfect design. To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.