The Evolution of Useful ThingsKnopf, 1992 - 288 páginas Only Henry Petroski, author of The Pencil, could make one never pick up a paper clip again without being overcome with feelings of awe and reverence. In his new book the author examines a host of techno-trivia questions -- how the fork got its tines, why Scotch tape is called that, how the paper clip evolved, how the Post-it note came to be, how the zipper was named, why aluminum cans have hollow bottoms -- and provides us with answers that both astonish and challenge the imagination. In addition to an extended discussion of knives, forks, spoons, and other common devices, the author explains how the interplay of social and technical factors affects the development and use of such things as plastic bags, fast-food packaging, push-button telephones, and other modern conveniences. Throughout the book familiar objects serve to illustrate the general principles behind the evolution of all products of invention and engineering. Petroski shows, by way of these examples as well as a probing look at the patent process, that the single most important driving force' behind technological change is the failure of existing devices to live up to their promise. As shortcomings become evident and articulated, new and "improved" versions of artifacts come into being through long and involved processes variously known as research and development, invention, and engineering. He further demonstrates how the evolving forms of technology generally are altered by our very, use of them, and how they, in turn, alter our social and cultural behavior. In this wonderful mixture of history, biography, and design theory, Henry Petroski brings us to an understanding of an essential question: By whatmechanism do the shapes and forms of our made world come to be? |
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How the Fork Got Its Tines | 1 |
Form Follows Failure | 20 |
Inventors as Critics | 32 |
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The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins ... Henry Petroski Visualização parcial - 1994 |
The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins ... Henry Petroski Visualização parcial - 2010 |
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advantages aesthetic aluminum American appears Basalla bathroom beverage blade Bostitch bottle Brosnan buttons catalogue Company consumer course desk developed device dinner fork early easily eating edge Emily Post engineering evolution of artifacts evolved example existing failings failure fashion fingers fish form follows FORM FOLLOWS FAILURE form follows function function Gideon Sundback hammer hand handles Hookless Fastener human-factors engineer ibid idea illustration improvement industrial design invention inventors Jacob Rabinow Judson knife and fork knives Konaclip less Loewy look machine manufacturers McDLT McDonald's meat ment metal mouth objects packaging paper clip pastry forks patent examiner pattern pieces pins plastic prior art pull Rabinow removed scramasax screw serve shape shortcomings silver silverplate silverware single specialized spoon steel style Sundback tape things tines tion U.S. Patent users utensils Vaaler's Whitcomb Judson wire York zipper