Failure to imagine the possibility of failure is the most profound mistake engineers can make. Petroski expounds upon the interconnectedness of technology and culture and the dangers that can emerge from its complexity.

"Smil presents the long history and modern infatuation with invention and innovation. Meticulous as always, these vast realms of human ingenuity are organized into sensible categories: inventions that went from welcome to undesirable, inventions that dominate and missed the mark, inventions we still dream about, and lastly, the exaggerations, myths, and wise expectations for innovations we need most"--