The Existential Pleasures of Engineering

Florman, despite a rather communitarian attitude (see earlier reviews), takes to task the utopian anti-technologists who demand a less technologically dependent society -- Luddites a colleague once called neo-neolithicans. Florman identifies the reason for elite resistance to innovative change -- namely fear -- the gnawing apprehension that their control as the enlightened (see Thomas Sowell's book _The_Vision_of_the_Anointed_) may be jeopardized by things they do not understand and whose implications cannot be predicted with confidence (if at all). A hint of this concern was expressed by Oswald Spengler in _Decline_of_the_West_predicting engineers to be the "priests" of the future. But that was before Dilbert.

The second edition is the same as the first, but with the addition of four essays taken from subsequent books _Blaming_Technology_ and _The_Civilized_Engineer_. The chapters from _Blaming_ includes a critique on then-fashionable fetish of "small" (as in village-level self-sufficiency, not nano-technology) and on the recognition that engineering, while a risk averse discipline, learns through failure -- often resulting in tragedy, although the tone seems reminiscent of the film "Shape of Things to Come" which I found both inspiring and alarming. One chapter which touches on the politically correct is the volatile topic of women in engineering. Florman points out that women are a small and glacially growing minority in the technical disciplines, and debate rages over the causes. I believe Florman is at least partially correct, that ambitious women recognize engineering as a politically noninfluential field, and perhaps also envision it as beneath their dignity. (Personally I suspect that the narrower intelligence distribution of women compared to men contributes to the paucity of female participation in engineering, irrespective of whether men and women collectively possess different facilities in spatial perception or verbal expression. Unlike me, Florman has the prudence not to antagonize hypersensitivities and makes no suggestion of this.) One interesting observation Florman makes (which appears consistent with personal observations) is that women who embark on an engineering career are typically mavericks compared to men--perhaps out of necessity in a male-dominated field. Whether any of that changes (whether or not it should), only time will tell.


BALANCE!   June 29, 2000
 6 out of 16 found this review helpful

Florman is only embarking a journey in the original body of this book, which is substantially revised/improved by the addition of four later essays plus a 1994 introduction, but he was sensible, straight, calm, balanced, & fair from the beginning. Humans are makers/users of tools, every bit as much as we are painters of pictures or tellers of tales or singers of songs, & this graceful writer's sense of the damage we do if/when we refuse to seek a balance, respect & nurture a mix, both culturally & individually, might save us from considerable heavy empty idiocy, destructive paranoia, all that.

We will tend to refuse to heed Cassandra, naturally, so Cassandra will occasionally resort to overstatement. Sam freely admits this:

"It is wrong, of course, to blame art, philosophy, religion, and education while defending technology, for man is a single organic whole, and his technology has played a vital role in his evolution. I make the artificial separation only because the antitechnologists have done so first, and the desire is strong to counter them at every point."

The last sentence, above, is just chicken/egg foolishness, & Florman usually resists "the desire" (or temptation) to assign blame. The first sentence, above, is simply true, informs all of Florman's writing, has implications for how we educate budding engineers &/or artists which we may continue to blithely ignore at our peril. Mr. Florman will get to these implications, in time, waxing sagely exasperated with educators. Artistic types ARE more arrogant about the "artificial separation" than the technically capable, but the general (&/or economic) culture will occasionally lead trained artists to acorns of technical understanding. The opposite motion is less likely, now, in the world outside. Hmmm...

Florman reveals his own educational history in THE CIVILIZED ENGINEER. Also recommended.


Superb book about technology, society and much else   March 1, 2000
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

Florman is a civil engineer. He writes about engineering, society, man's relationship to technology and nature, overpopulating, pollution, and other critical technology-related issues. He writes the best essays about these topics I have ever read. In general, he supports the status quo and he is an optimist, but he is not blind to the shortcomings of technology and dangers like overpopulation and over development. Much of this book is devoted to a gentle rebuttal of the 1960s anti-technology philosophies embraced by Mumford, Reich and Schumacher. Florman presents all points of view. He leans over backward to present opposing points of view accurately, by quoting authors at length.

Florman writes about product safety, industrial standards, risky research and development in unproven technology, job satisfaction, social alienation, recruiting women into engineering, and many other topics. He illuminates the discussion with examples drawn from history, ancient and modern literature, grand opera, Tom Lehrer songs, and rock music. He writes with such wit and clarity you almost feel it is a shame he became a civil engineer instead of an author, or a historian or journalist. Nearly every page has some quotable, piquant paragraphs like these:

"Our contemporary problem is distressingly bvious. We have too many people wanting too many things. This is not caused by technology; it is a consequence of the type of creature that man is. . . ."

"It is common knowledge that millions of underprivileged families want adequate food and housing. What is less commonly remarked is that after they have adequate food and housing they will want to be served at a fine restaurant and to have a weekend cottage by the sea. People want tickets to the Philharmonic and vacation trips abroad . . . The illiterate want to learn how to read. Then they want education, and then more education, and then they want their sons and daughters to become doctors and lawyers. . ." (p. 76)

This is one of the few books I have seen recommended by the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, Time magazine, and the American Society for Engineering Education.

I recommend Florman's other books, especially "Blaming Technology," which is out of print, unfortunately.


A classic   October 31, 1998
 4 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is a classic study of technology and it's place in our culture. Florman provides a brilliant way of libertarians, anti-technologists and others to looka t the impact of technology in our society. There are at least five of the best techno-essays every writte, in my humble opinion.


Libertarians and free-market thinkers will not like this one   November 20, 1996
 6 out of 17 found this review helpful

Samuel Florman repeatedly states the intellectuallybankrupt notion that individuals and companies have aprofit motive that will lead them to create total disaster for the population without "proper" governmental oversight (never considering that these businessmen constantly risk their most important asset, their reputations). Government bureaucrats risk nothing with their meddlesome and pernicious conduct, such as requiring airbags which are killing children and small adults; a private citizen would be liable, but not the bureaucrats who created these laws. I very much regret buying this book, and encouraging the author's bad (economic) behavior.