--- title: "6 Engineer Quotes By Henry Petroski" description: "6 Engineer quotes by Henry Petroski. Plus more from Henry Petroski and more Engineer sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/henry-petroski-10198_been_for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-have-bee_619114.jpg" --- > [For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-have-been-fascinated-by-things-large/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/henry-petroski-10198_been_for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-have-bee_619114.jpg) > [Failure is central to engineering. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation. Successful engineering is all about understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/failure-is-central-to-engineering-every-single-calculation-that-an/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/henry-petroski-10198_about_failure-is-central-to-engineering-every_1214795.png) > [Indeed, an engineer designing a structure is not unlike an artist painting one. Both start with nothing but talent, experience, and inspiration.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/indeed-an-engineer-designing-a-structure-is-not-unlike-an-artist/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49c/henry-petroski-10198_architecture_indeed-an-engineer-designing-a-structure_1345224.png) > [My first book, 'To Engineer Is Human,' was prompted by nonengineer friends asking me why so many technological accidents and failures were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/my-first-book-to-engineer-is-human-was-prompted-by-nonengineer/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/henry-petroski-10198_accidents_my-first-book-to-engineer-is-human-was-p_2132168.jpg) > [A common misconception about how things such as space shuttles come to be is that engineers simply apply the theories and equations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/a-common-misconception-about-how-things-such-as-space-shuttles-come/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/henry-petroski-10198_about_a-common-misconception-about-how-things_2247866.jpg) > [Failure is Central to engineering. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/failure-is-central-to-engineering-every-single-calculation-that-an-2/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/henry-petroski-10198_calculations_failure-is-central-to-engineering-every_3175816.png) ## Other authors on Engineer ## More by Henry Petroski > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [It is really want, rather than need, that drives the process of technological evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/it-is-really-want-rather-than-need-that-drives-the-process-of/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [A failed structure provides a counterexample to a hypothesis and shows us incontrovertibly what cannot be done, while a structure that stands without incident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/a-failed-structure-provides-a-counterexample-to-a-hypothesis-and/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Everything we do is designed, whether we're producing a magazine, a website, or a bridge. Design is really the creative invention that designs everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/everything-we-do-is-designed-whether-we-re-producing-a-magazine-a/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [I employ case studies of failure into my courses, emphasizing that they teach us much more than studies of success. It is not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/i-employ-case-studies-of-failure-into-my-courses-emphasizing-that/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [ Whether or not science can be applied to that mental construct \[i.e. the designed entity\] is a matter of availability. If there is body… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/whether-or-not-science-can-be-applied-to-that-mental-construct-i-e/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Failures are much more dramatic than successes, and people like drama. I think this is why automobile races draw such crowds. People expect spectacular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/failures-are-much-more-dramatic-than-successes-and-people-like-drama/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [The most amazing achievement of the computer software industry is its continuing cancellation of the steady and staggering gains made by the computer hardware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/the-most-amazing-achievement-of-the-computer-software-industry-is-its/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-have-been-fascinated-by-things-large/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/successful-engineering-is-all-about-understanding-how-things-break-or/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [The space shuttle was designed, at least in part, to broaden our knowledge of the universe. To scientists, the vehicle was a tool; to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/the-space-shuttle-was-designed-at-least-in-part-to-broaden-our/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Because they are so humbled by their creations, engineers are naturally conservative in their expectations of technology. They know that the perfect system is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/because-they-are-so-humbled-by-their-creations-engineers-are/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Engineering is achieving function while avoiding failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/engineering-is-achieving-function-while-avoiding-failure/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [An over-reliance on past successes is a sure blueprint for future failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/an-over-reliance-on-past-successes-is-a-sure-blueprint-for-future/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [I was always told that I was good in mathematics, and I guess my grades and standardized test scores supported that. My worst subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/i-was-always-told-that-i-was-good-in-mathematics-and-i-guess-my/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineer/henry-petroski/#itemlist", "name": "6 Engineer Quotes By Henry Petroski", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch tick, my radio play, and my house stand. I wanted to know who invented the bottle cap and who designed the bridge. 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