"Success through Failure"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews Henry Petroski's book, "Success through Failure: The Paradox of Design," which examines the process by which new technologies and artifacts are created. The paper discusses Petroski's arguments regarding the relationship between success and failure in design. The paper also reviews the way that the book is written and the argument is presented.

From the Paper:

"Petroski's Success through Failure is an exploration of the relationship between success and failure in design. The reaction to failures, as well as attempts to avoid those failures in the first place, is one of the most important aspects of the design process. Or, at least, this is Petroski's argument. The reality is a bit more subtle than that; however, Petroski draws a wide swath of historical evidence, examples, and anecdotes to illustrate that more often than not the advance of technology and design is built on a foundation of failures, not successes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Petroski, Henry. Success through Failure: The Paradox of Design. Princeton, NJ: Princton University Press, 2006.

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