Success through Failure: The Paradox of Design [Hardcover]

"This is the paradox of design: Things that succeed teach us little beyond the fact that they have been successful; things that fail provide incontrovertible evidence that the limits of design have been exceeded. Emulating success risks failure; studying failure increases our chances of success," page 114.

I bought this book because of the title and because I am always trying to find something good in something that is going bad. Eternal optimist. Some people get accused of being "the glass is half full" people. They drive others crazy by always smiling and looking on the bright side of things.

On the scale of possibility, I think I am a "glass isn't there" type person. I try to see things that aren't there yet, help others see those things, find hope in hopeless situations, and stay calm when the wheels are falling off because I have come to understand and realize that failure is a necessary ingredient to success, and I am starting to be less afraid of it. Now, a day rarely goes by that I don't feel like quitting--and I think that might be a good thing. If the work isn't hard, maybe it is not the right work.

During one of the darkest times of World War II, when someone remarked to Churchill that the state of the country was serious but not hopeless, he responded that the situation was hopeless but not serious. I think Churchill could see things that other people couldn't as well.

Success Through Failure is not an educational book. Educators have a tendency to try and avoid failure at all costs. It is almost like we are constantly trying to defend the status quo, or even worse, "create the past." How many times have you heard ideas preceded with this statement, "Back when I was in school..."

This is a book about people who build bridges, buildings, and improve technology. Occupations that require improvement for survival. I think educators can learn a lot from how we address and deal with failure. When these organizations experience failure, they try to figure out what they can do different to eliminate and reduce that failure and then they DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

In education, student failure is often viewed as the student's fault or the parent's fault. Historically, there has not been a lot of discussion about what the system (as individuals, groups, schools, or districts) could do different to reduce the failure, but that is starting to change.

There is some evidence that when educators face failure, they are starting by asking why and looking into the mirror. That is the best place to start. The book's best definition of failure can be found on page 51, "Failure is an unacceptable difference between expected and observed performance."

I'm using this book for my Intro to Structural Engineering class as an extra resource and it's really great. The story-like format and engaging anecdotes make for a pleasant read. It's also very well structured.
I'd recommend this if you also just want an abridged history of engineering design, even though you might not be one.

Petroski's expertise is clearly in engineering. Right upfront I will say that I have no engineering aspirations. Yet, I found this book to be engaging and globally relevant. That is because Petroski presents a different way of thinking. Our way of learning and seeking often looks at Success. What he points out is that "success is not simply the absence of failure; it also masks potential modes of failure." If you are planning, seeking, designing -- especially where the stakes are high -- the best advisor is Failure.
Using examples from engineering he demonstrates this. Most of the exemplar stories are interesting, though some get bogged down. I can't say that the book is a cogent masterpiece. His first chapter, a summary of a presentation he made, does not seem to fit the premise. Nonetheless, the book and it's perspective-shifting thesis is, in my opinion, extremely important.

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