Applied Minds: How Engineers Think

Few people complete a formal education in engineering (B.S. degree through a Ph.D. degree) but Guru Madhavan is convinced – as am I – that almost anyone can develop an engineer's mind-set, one that could create a significant competitive advantage for them. "Engineers help create [begin italics] solution spaces [end italics] -- suites of possibilities that offer new choices, conveniences, and comforts -- that redefine our standard of living."; They have developed a mind-set that guides and informs those efforts.Howard Gardner has much of value to say about multiple intelligences that have almost unlimited applications in what are often viewed as separate and [begin italics] unrelated [end italics] arts and sciences. Mudhavan agrees with Gardner: “The engineering mind-set can be applied successfully in every walk of life because its core elements (structure, constraints, trade-offs) and its basic concepts (including recombination, optimization, efficiency, and prototyping, are equally effective in finding solutions to nonengineering challenges. We can see all these aspects converging clearly in the work of one of the most famous film directors of all time, who studied and had a ‘thorough grounding’ in engineering. His early technical training had an important influence on his creations.”Madhavan points out that, for Alfred Hitchcock, everything he presented on screen “was rooted in technical logic, even creating a suspenseful cinematic moment – the immediacy and very essence of the experience that would be thrilling and ‘chilling movie audiences long before air conditioning.’” Such effects are the result of both art and science.The Birds offers an excellent case in point. The technical issues with the movie were “prodigious,” Hitchcock said. “I mean films like Ben Hur and Cleopatra are child’s play compared to this.” Madhavan notes that live birds had to be trained for every shot and the aeorodynamic principles of gliders were applied “to simulate fake bird movements. Special wire works, miniatures, and gears were used to arrive at authentic-looking shorts of the feathered actors – a Hollywood version of robotics before computers.”Obviously, the engineer’s mind-set can help to create “suites of possibilities that offer new choices, conveniences, and comforts -- that redefine our standard of living." It can guide and inform those efforts. But there is a higher purpose to which Madhavan refers when suggesting that everyone is an engineer “at some point in the way we design our destinies. That’s why it’s the responsibility of not only engineers, but just about everyone to share the future course of engineering, which is entering an era of new eclecticism. With a shared vision we can create better solution spaces, convert random motions into progress, and improve societal muscle strength to address the complexities of today and tomorrow.”Guru Madhavan provides an abundance of information, insights, and counsel in this volume from a scope and depth of sources and resources that require 39 pages to be cited. Also of great value are the lessons he has learned from this material as well as his determination to prepare those who read his book to create their own ““suites of possibilities that offer new choices, conveniences, and comforts” and help others to do so. With all due respect to the importance of a higher standard of living, we need even more a higher quality of life. We don’t need a world filled with engineers but we could certainly benefit from a world in which everyone can think like one whenever necessary.

The central thesis of “Applied Minds” is that engineers have a “mindset” that enables them to turn problems into opportunities. The mindset is not simply defined so the author supports his thesis through a wide range of case studies.Engineers do not become household names - public recognition usually goes to the scientist who makes a fundamental discovery. It was fascinating to read about the people who created ATM machines, UPC bar codes, laser scanners, digital photography, and mobile telephony. The author provides insight into the origin of each technology and the problems that had to be solved to bring the technology to fruition. For example, the inventor of the first ATM first conceived of a machine to dispense chocolate bars before focusing on cash. Laser scanners used in supermarkets were originally developed to track the location of trains within the vast American railroad network. There are some surprising examples of how an engineering mindset was applied by creative people in the entertainment industry. The author interviewed the living engineers profiled; these first person recollections of their work add greatly to the narrative. This book does much to dispel stereotypes of engineers. The authors enthusiasm and passion shines through in his writing.It was disappointing that the author didn’t discuss the contributions of engineers to modern medicine, apart from the first large scale production of penicillin in the 1940s. Also, it was surprising not to see any discussion of engineering contributions to space exploration.To summarize: this book provides insights into how engineers think and the amazing inventions that flow from the engineering mindset. I haven’t come across a similar book yet. If you are an aspiring or practicing engineer you will get something out of reading “Applied Minds”.

LOVED this book. Ordered it after reading a Wall Street Journal article by the author. I'm not an engineer by trade but my father was and my son is now on his way. But I have always done things in a problem-solving, systems-creating way and this book helped to reinforce the how, and the why, and the way we are different from others and their approaches to life. Enjoyable and informative.

Contains some interesting historical vignettes and a few worthwhile insights but, on the whole, meanders about the topic advertised in the title and most definitely fails to take anything like a systematic approach to the topic of how engineers think. It would have been very interesting to see even a systematic summary of that topic juxtaposed with how engineers might be adjusting or even transforming their ways of thinking in this era of (possibly oversold, I agree) Agile methods and (not oversold) the high and ever-increasing rate of of change in pace, scale, and scope in so many areas that require solid engineering thinking to keep pace or at least cope.

There is lots of good material organized in chapters: (Prologue) Invisible bridges; (1) Mixing and matching; (2) Optimizing; (3) Enhancing efficiency and reliability; (4) Standardizing with flexibility; (5) Solutions under constraints; (6) Crossing over and adapting; (7) Prototyping; (8) Learning from others; (Fadeout) A mindset for the multitudes. At the end there is a long section "Sources and resources", "Acknowledgments", and a comprehensive "Index".The book is written in a very conversational style with lots of interesting anecdotes from history such as the Rosie Ruiz fake marathoner story (she took public transportation) that led to the need to track each individual runner. But sometimes the story is overly long or convoluted and reader may lose track of the point the author is making. The chapters could have used editing to restore focus.All in all, I enjoyed the book but wished for more focus by the author.

Must read for all engineers

I am always thrilled in a particular kind of way when I read a book about a subject I never imagined I’d be interested in. I’m delighted when I’m seduced by the writing, engaged by the ideas and, especially, find myself thinking, “Hmmm I never thought about That, in this way before”. “Applied Minds – How Engineers Think” is that kind of book, full of revelations and “aha” moments. I don’t often pause to think about the people who design bridges or sewer systems or a multitude of other structures and systems that we depend on every day. And I’ve never considered the mental processes involved in coming up with designs that must address so many details and important considerations. The stories in “Applied Minds” are compelling, intriguing and often moving. Guru Madhavan knows that telling stories is a great way to engage a broad readership and he is a wonderful storyteller. I particularly liked the chapter called “Learning from Others” with its unusual examples of how outside-the-box thinkers who are open to connecting unconventional dots, get their inspiration. Madhavan says an engineer’s mind is an “inference engine”, taking clues from nature and from other non-engineers, and applying them to their work. The more we can break down silos, talk to, and learn from others, the better off we’ll all be. “Applied Minds” encourages us all to be curious and to ask those basic questions: why, how, what if? - to see where that leads. This is a book for all of us and also one I hope all engineering students and their professors will read and discuss.

A must read for engineers. Gives lot of insight to how an engineer should think and work.

Interesting book about engineers' different approaches towards different problems. Uses different examples from engineerng history to explain his ideas.

Interesting