My eyes glaze over

[come_to_think]

Reading: The Design of Design, by Gordon L. Glegg (Cambridge U.P., 1971)

A delightful little book by a British professor of engineering.  I bought & read it shortly after it came out, but it disappeared at Twin Oaks.  Recently I recalled a joke that reminded me of it, so I had Amazon scare it up (deaccessioned by Northern Michigan University Library

Comments

[danthered]

I'm going to get this book right away -- thanks for bringing it to my attention! In reciprocity: have you ever heard of Jacob "Jack" Rabinow? I had the great privilege to meet him several times and see his magical house and workshop full of working inventions. Do yourself a large and inexplicably affordable favour and buy his book (or here if prefer a non-Amazon source). I say "inexplicably affordable" because the book's long out of print and I've seen used copies offered -- and bought! -- at more than $100. The title is misleading; it makes the book sound like a snoozer, but the book itself is not only a complete delight to read (really, I mean it) but also highly relevant to the types of questions you sound as though you ponder. If you're like me, once you get past the yawner of a title and actually start reading, you'll discover this to be a book that drags you back for seconds and thirds. He's a masterful storyteller.

[come_to_think]

No, I had not heard of him. I have ordered his book.

My favorite classical inventions are the heliograph (said to be due to Gauss!) & the gyrocompass (too complicated to work, and does a job too simple to be possible).

Delighted to be of use. %^)