The Introspective Engineer

by Samuel C. Florman

The profession of engineering is rarely the topic of serious public discussion. Multimedia, virtual reality, information superhighway-these are the buzzwords of the day. But real engineers, the people who conceive of computers and oversee their manufacture, the people who design and build information systems, cars, bridges, and airplanes, labor in obscurity. There are no engineering heroes, and we as a society are poorer for this.Like Florman's landmark book, The Existential Pleasures of Engineering, The Introspective Engineer is a clarion call to society. We must awaken to the reality that the quality of human life depends on increasingly creative technological solutions to the problems we face. We need cleaner, more economical engines, faster computers, more power, and a healthier planet if we are to survive. It is engineers who will lead us to this future.

Genres: Engineering, Nonfiction, Stem, Philosophy, Science, Popular Science

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Richp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rambling essay on the field of engineering, and engineers themselves, from someone whose engineering career was much different than mine. I found it almost always interesting, but at times annoying too. That annoyance was sometimes due to his salesmanship, at times over the top, and sometimes I disagreed with his point and thought it based on false understanding of what has been going on in much of the engineering world.

[Candice Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A righteous call to introspection and action. Unlike what one may presume about this book, it is not a work narrowly focused on engineering. Rather, it is a work that can speak to any significant vocation in life. It has provoked me to think about engineering and technological marvels which underpin our daily comforts and pave the way for wholesale prosperity for all of humankind. As Florman's other works( The Existential Pleasures of Engineering and The Civilized Engineer) point out, we should not be so quick to be outright Luddite (aka haters of technology) or rose-colored technology enthusiasts. We cannot condemn technology any more than we can venerate it. From the atomic bomb that rocked Hiroshima to the privacy-decimating, envy-inducing Facebook, we cannot merely point an accusatory finger at technology as the sole source of our woes. As intelligent and rational beings, we must ascertain that we are capable to controlling the direction that technology takes as well as the emotions that technology evokes in us. As the creators of technology, we are responsible and accountable for our creation's impact on the environment and society. The book reminds us that we should be vigilant and heedful shepherds of technology. Technology, in whatever form or specter, will not bedevil or consume or enslave or annihilate us unless we let it.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although at times the writing struck me as too narcissistic (which is really too harsh a word but I am lost for another to replace it adequately), I thought it a wonderful read that took the so called "cold and distant" profession of engineering into a warmer light. I thoroughly agreed with much that was said, and have a weird new appreciation for France and a new resolve to go out and make my mark on the world -- or better yet, make the world a little bit better. To be frank, the only reason I might have found his style a bit too proud for my liking is that I have embarked myself on the path to an engineering degree, and it has always made me a bit uncomfortable to toot my own horn, so to speak. And yes, this book caters to the engineer, I think, since at times I was mentally cheering for my chosen profession, and it felt good to hear the praise. But there was also criticism, constructively placed as to not discourage the engineer, but bring a balance to the novel so that, in the end, I think this is a book that ought to be read by people of all talents. Especially if one is at all curious to the strange creature of the engineer.

[L B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly statements of opinion passed off as fact.

[Anthony Tenaglier · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting topic to write about... being a professional engineer, I constantly wonder how I would define my role. This book provided some insight as to what it means to be an engineer.

[Scott Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

At sea