The Essential Engineer by Henry Petroski

Henry Petroski's book, The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems, differentiates the contributions that engineers and scientist bring to the world.  The two fields are complementary. Engineers designed the Large Hadron Collider allowing scientists to conduct experiments. Electron microscopes designed by engineers allow scientists to make observations at the sub micron level.

After reading the Miracle Cure, I was impressed and the engineering problem solving that was required to produce Penicillin from Penicillium spp. The engineering required to scale up the production took many years.  This is often why the conversion of scientific knowledge occasionally into practical use is often very difficult (see nuclear fusion).

The book describes the engineering difficulties faced as we attempt to transition to a sustainable future.  Gasoline is a very energy dense fuel. It is difficult with current technology to get even close to the power production from battery powered vehicles. The engineers designed the automobile as a solution to the problem caused by animal waste from horses. Engineers are now face with a more difficult problem to replace gasoline as a fuel source.

 

The Essential Engineer interview by Henry Petroski 6-min.