An eminent engineer and historian tackles one of the most elemental
aspects of life: how we experience and utilize physical force
"Another gem from a master of technology writing."--Kirkus Reviews
Force explores how humans interact with the material world in the
course of their everyday activities. This book for the general reader
also considers the significance of force in shaping societies and
cultures.
Celebrated author Henry Petroski delves into the ongoing physical
interaction between people and things that enables them to stay put or
causes them to move. He explores the range of daily human experience
whereby we feel the sensations of push and pull, resistance and
assistance. The book is also about metaphorical force, which manifests
itself as pressure and relief, achievement and defeat.
Petroski draws from a variety of disciplines to make the case that
force--represented especially by our sense of touch--is a unifying
principle that pervades our lives. In the wake of a prolonged global
pandemic that increasingly cautioned us about contact with the physical
world, Petroski offers a new perspective on the importance of the
sensation and power of touch.