The Perfectionists

This is the story of precision engineering from precisions of .1 to 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 01, or early cannons and steam engines through guns and automobiles, modern jet airplanes, then ultimately to modern microprocessors and the tools scientists are using to investigate the universe at infinite and infinitesimal scales.

I don't think this book is perfect, but it's pretty well written and provides a cohesive narrative of how we, as humans, have sought and achieved more and more ridiculous levels of replicable precision and how even small imperfections can cause catastrophic damage with the tolerance high performance products are designed for. It's not at the top of my list, but it's a pretty good read and you'll learn a little.

Overly romantic at times I suppose, but completely up my alley and I enjoyed almost every minute of it!

As an engineering student, elements of this book really resonated with me. I especially enjoyed the discussion of early precision, and how our understanding and drive has changed over time. The final chapter, exploring how imprecise things contain their own value and beauty really opened my eyes. I think it is important to remember that precision is not the be all and end all.

Too discursive and prolix. Would have been quite helpful to have some engineering diagrams.