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Samuel C. Florman
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The Existential Pleasures of Engineering (Thomas Dunne Book) Paperback – February 15, 1996

by Samuel C. Florman (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 81 ratings
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Humans have always sought to change their environment--building houses, monuments, temples, and roads. In the process, they have remade the fabric of the world into newly functional objects that are also works of art to be admired. In this second edition of his popular Existential Pleasures of Engineering, Samuel Florman explores how engineers think and feel about their profession.

A deeply insightful and refreshingly unique text, this book corrects the myth that engineering is cold and passionless. Indeed, Florman celebrates engineering not only crucial and fundamental but also vital and alive; he views it as a response to some of our deepest impulses, an endeavor rich in spiritual and sensual rewards. Opposing the "anti-technology" stance, Florman gives readers a practical, creative, and even amusing philosophy of engineering that boasts of pride in his craft.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 15, 1996
  4. Dimensions
    5.6 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0312141041
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0312141042
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gracefully written . . . refreshing and highly infectious enthusiasm . . . imaginatively engineered.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“A useful read for engineers given to self-scrutiny, and a stimulating one for the layman interested in the ancient schism between machines and men's souls.” ―Time

“An urbane, witty, intellectually far-ranging, large-spirited hymn to homo faber.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“Enchanting.” ―The New Yorker

About the Author

Samuel C. Florman, a civil engineer, is a principal in a major New York-area construction company. In addition to scores of articles, Mr. Florman is the author of the novel The Aftermath, as well as The Introspective Engineer, The Civilized Engineer, Blaming Technology, and his classic, The Existential Pleasures of Engineering. He lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; 2nd edition (February 15, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312141041
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312141042
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

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Samuel C. Florman

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
81 global ratings
To engineer is human
5 Stars
To engineer is human
This is a book for all engineers (and many scientists) who havbe ever had a crisis of faith in their work. It's a reminder, if one is needed, that engineering is human, humane work, and profoundly fulfilling in itself.Florman gets off to a slow start, though. The first third of the book is apologetic, acknowledging the many social and environmental ills in which engineers have taken part. "Forgive us," he seems to say, "for not being better than the masters who command our work and the clients who demand it." The next third of the book takes on a shrill tone, an answer to the neo-Luddites of the 1960s and 1970s. Florman spends time answering their anti-technological absurdities and self-important elitism. Only in the last third of the book does Florman make the central point of this book.Engineers, as a stereotype, seem boring, but perhaps that's becuase we lack so many of the stereotypical failings of other professions - avarice, personal arrogance, or violence. Engineering is no less creative than any of the "creative" arts, and is a profound expression of all that sets us apart from animals. It's part of the tradition of Homer and the Old Testament, where the ability to create was god-given, and the tradition of Chartres, where engineering skill was an offering to God. Florman notes that putting one's skills to the service of human needs is a living expression of the communal sense. I felt that myself when I acquired a breast cancer microarray dataset in the course of my work. It was the realization that those blank case numbers were real women, some now dead, and that I had a duty towards them (or their memories), their futures, and the futures of others. But most of all, Florman reminds us that engineering is fun. It answers personal, social, and even spiritual needs in ways that outsiders may never understand. I assure you, the greatest awareness of the world and its glories comes from direct involvement with it, and an engineer's life is about involvement with the physical world.Issues have changed since Florman wrote this in 1976; it sometimes answers questions that aren't commonly asked any more. Still, it's the finest statement I know of what there is about engineering that makes a practitioner proud, even happy, to be a part of it.//wiredweird
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Top reviews from the United States

MrsFixit
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Seller and a Good read
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
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Got this book for a gift. It was well packaged and came in so promptly. Thank you for a good buying experience!
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Ken Dunipace
4.0 out of 5 stars It's very "slow" reading. Some interesting, seriously philosophical ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2017
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It's very "slow" reading. Some interesting, seriously philosophical ideas, but seems to miss the "pleasure" part.
One person found this helpful
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Kendal R.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must ready for STEM students
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2023
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I gift this to every graduate I know going into engineering or a related field. This book is one of the most human analyses of the engineering mindset and desire to build that I have ever read. This is a must read for all engineers.
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M. Tillman
3.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately Off Target
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2004
In reading this book, I found quite a bit of agreement between myself and Florman. As a practicing engineer, I have fairly well defined ideas of my role in society, how society values my contributions vice those of others, and the needs for technology in our growing world. When I finished the book, I had a feeling that Florman was preaching to the choir. As an engineer, I was bound to think that my profession was important, and he really didn't have to convice me that our work has helped build society to what it is today. The problem is that I don't think a lot of non-engineering types are inclined to pick up this book and read through it, in much the same way that non-Muslims are not very likely to grab a copy of the Koran and read it.
This problem, I think, is symptomatic of what Florman is really writing about. The Catch 22 of the profession is that the vast majority of people aren't interested in understanding the contributions that engineers make to the world, because if they were interested, chances are they would become engineers. The same holds true for history of science/technology classes at universities, where most of the folks that are in there are trying to learn about the history of their discipline.
If you are not an engineer, reading this book will certainly broaden your understanding of the people who bring you everything in life. If you are an engineer, this book will likely add to your convictions as to why you became one in the first place.
7 people found this helpful
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djK
5.0 out of 5 stars Applies to technologists in any field, and still relevant today
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2015
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As an engineering graduate and a practicing consultant writing software for a living, I believe the message in this book applies to everyone that works with technology, not just the "hard" engineering subjects like civil, mechanical, chemical, aerospace, etc. Since technology now is all around us and an inescapable part of most jobs, crafts and hobbies, this book also may be worth reading by all tinkerers and DIYers.

I couldn't put down the book and came away wishing I had read it before I went to engineering school. All the arguments ring true for me and it was a joy to read. I'll certainly be passing my copy along to my nieces currently in high school.
5 people found this helpful
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Terry McCammon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
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This was a gift for a family member who has begun an engineering education. I talked for years trying to talk him out of it, but there you have it. Children will not learn from the example of their elders.

I have had a personal copy for many years. It is a very good book. The author is one of the few men who actually made a decent living out of engineering so is very enthusiastic. Engineering is a wonderful study and a terrible profession. If you have the intelligence to actually handle the material why not do something that will earn you some money? Oh well.
2 people found this helpful
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Stephen Dunn
4.0 out of 5 stars engineering meets philosophy
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2018
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new things to consider
One person found this helpful
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TQSA
5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a Classic, Must-Read for Humanist Engineers and Other Thinking, Thoughtful Techies
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2019
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The headline says it all. I’ve given this to PhD students in Applied Math, young and old Engineers, self-made (no degree) engineers, and retired engineers like myself.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Dan
5.0 out of 5 stars So it IS OK to indulge in engineering pursuits.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
In saying just as much about existentialism as about engineering, Florman writes an informative account of the modern-day engineer's experience of his/her profession. But this account, in light of certain outcomes of 20th/21st century engineering, approaches an 'apologia'. Whether or not theories pertaining to existentialism will prove to be safeguards against a sometimes 'wayward' engineering remains to be seen. But an existentially pleasurable pursuit of engineering seems to be innocuous enough, if Florman has been understood correctly; and may well dictate engineering's most appropriate and fruitful future.
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