Volume 1, Number 2, Spring 2001 (Book Review)

Introduction to Engineering Design

 

Arvid R. Eide, Roland D. Jenison, Lane H. Mashaw, Larry L. Northup

McGraw-Hill, 1998

 

 

Introduction to Engineering Design not only fulfills its promise of introducing freshman students to engineering design, but also provides an excellent overview of the engineering profession and engineering problem-solving.  Designed for use in an introductory engineering course, the book is part of McGraw-Hill’s BEST Series – Basic Engineering Series and Tools.  The authors – a mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, and 2 civil engineers – succeed in keeping their book “discipline neutral,” so it could be used by any engineering department.

 

Introduction to Engineering Design provides much valuable information in a succinct format that should appeal to freshmen – the book has around 120 pages, and could be read in several hours.  Reader friendly, the book includes ample figures and photos to illustrate concepts, along with clear headings to guide readers through the text.  Discussions that could be dry, such as functions of an engineer, are kept interesting with use of real world examples, at a level a freshman student should be able to understand. Throughout the book, use of technical jargon is kept to a minimum.

 

The book’s first chapter provides an outstanding overview of the engineering profession, including:

·        How the engineer fits into the technology team, and how an engineer differs from a scientist or technician;

·        Possible functions of an engineer, including research and development, design, construction and operation;

·        The engineering disciplines (aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, and others);

·        The education of an engineer (an overview of the engineering curriculum);

·        A section on professionalism and ethics, which includes discussions of engineering societies and the importance of professional registration.

 

The section “Education of an Engineer” is especially well-written and should help students “make sense” of the engineering curriculum.  The section explains why various parts of the curriculum are important to engineers, including the physical sciences, communication/writing, and the humanities.

 

The second chapter focuses on engineering problem-solving, which is described insightfully as “a combination of experience, knowledge, process, and art.”   The importance of recognizing assumptions, checking results for reasonableness, and balancing accuracy with available time/resources are emphasized.

 

The third chapter describes engineering design and outlines a 10-step design process.  The authors illustrate the process by following a student design team through a class project.  In addition to the student project example, which involves design of a log-splitter, the chapter could have benefited from a real-world design example.  The chapter also includes a list of possible freshman design projects.

 

If the authors decide to publish a 2nd Edition, a list of references or web sites for more information would be helpful.  The book’s brevity is one of its strengths, but also means that students may be looking for more information about certain topics.

 

In my opinion, Introduction to Engineering Design gives freshmen (or any reader) valuable insight into the nature of engineering.  It should motivate students to study to become members of this honorable profession which, as the book states, uses knowledge to shape civilization.  

 

-- Melanie Sattler, Ph.D.

Last Updated on 8/22/2005