SKU: 97505242908

Success Through Failure: The Paradox of Design

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Success Through Failure: The Paradox of DesignDesign pervades our lives. Everything from drafting a PowerPoint presentation to planning a state of the art bridge embodies this universal human activity. But what makes a great design? In this compelling and wide ranging look at the essence of invention, distinguished engineer and author Henry Petroski argues that, time and again, we have built success on the back of failure not through easy imitation of success. Success through Failure shows us

Design pervades our lives. Everything from drafting a PowerPoint presentation to planning a state-of-the-art bridge embodies this universal human activity. But what makes a great design? In this compelling and wide-ranging look at the essence of invention, distinguished engineer and author Henry Petroski argues that, time and again, we have built success on the back of failure--not through easy imitation of success.

Success through Failure shows us that making something better--by carefully anticipating and thus averting failure--is what invention and design are all about. Petroski explores the nature of invention and the character of the inventor through an unprecedented range of both everyday and extraordinary examples--illustrated lectures, child-resistant packaging for drugs, national constitutions, medical devices, the world's tallest skyscrapers, long-span bridges, and more. Stressing throughout that there is no surer road to eventual failure than modeling designs solely on past successes, he sheds new light on spectacular failures, from the destruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 and the space shuttle disasters of recent decades, to the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001.


Petroski also looks at the prehistoric and ancient roots of many modern designs. The historical record, especially as embodied in failures, reveals patterns of human social behavior that have implications for large structures like bridges and vast organizations like NASA. Success through Failure--which will fascinate anyone intrigued by design, including engineers, architects, and designers themselves--concludes by speculating on when we can expect the next major bridge failure to occur, and the kind of bridge most likely to be involved.

-- "Architectural Science Review"

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 05/29/2018
ISBN: 9780691180991
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.90d
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SKU: 97505242908

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Lateefah
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice and easy to assemble
Color: Black, Size: Standard - 4 Panel
I absolutely love this 4-panel room divider! It was super easy to assemble — I had it set up in just a few minutes. The material isn’t too see-through, which gives just the right amount of privacy while still letting some light through. It does exactly what I needed it to do and looks so clean and sleek in my space. Perfect balance of style and function — highly recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2025
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Virginia C.
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
A quick private space
Color: Black, Size: Standard - 4 Panel
Went together easily, just the right height and width for just a bit of privacy.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2026
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Excelente
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Excelente calidad
Color: Black, Size: Standard - 4 Panel
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2026
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DCP
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Great value, perfect for our infant room!
Color: Black, Size: Standard - 4 Panel
Great product, sturdy design and easy to build! It is a fairly light weight item, which aids in the maneuverability of the divider. The color was as described and is dark enough to block the light from our sleeping infants! I do love that you are able to see through the slats and see the child sleeping- if you are looking for something with MORE privacy, this is not it. It has great coverage area and is dark and a wonderful value for the price, however, you are able to see through the areas where each panel connects!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2025
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Tammy Lee Morris
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 1
Don’t waste your money or time!
Color: White, Size: Standard - 4 Panel
Don’t waste your money. The instructions make no sense and the metal poles are either sized wrong for the product or screw holes are incorrectly placed, but no two poles matched in size and placement making it impossible to put this together without the panels being warped. No matter how I tried to switch the poles to see if I had them wrong, they always turned out warped and incorrectly fit. I finally gave up and threw everything out - I wasted $50 on this junk and because I didn’t try to put it together immediately after I bought it, it is way too late for a refund. Lesson learned!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2025

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