The Things We Make audiobook cover - The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans

The Things We Make

The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans

Bill Hammack

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PhilosophyCreativityEducationHistory

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The Things We Make
The Engineering Method+
Defining the 'Best' Solution+
Navigating Limits and Uncertainty+
Science's Role in Engineering+
The Myth of the Lone Inventor+
The Complexity of Innovation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
What defines the 'engineering method' as practiced by historical master masons building European cathedrals?
  • A. Relying strictly on advanced mathematical formulas and precise scientific data to calculate load-bearing capacities.
  • B. Applying practical rules of thumb, intuition, and trial-and-error to achieve goals despite uncertainty and limited resources.
  • C. Waiting for complete structural data before beginning construction to guarantee the building would not collapse.
  • D. Using exclusively local materials regardless of the structural requirements or the size of the building.
Question 2 of 7
What is a key lesson from Henry Dreyfuss's designs and Georgena Terry's bicycles regarding the concept of the 'best' engineering solution?
  • A. The 'best' solution is universally applicable to all humans regardless of culture, age, or gender.
  • B. Engineering designs often carry inherent biases, and the 'best' solution must continually evolve to be more inclusive of different needs.
  • C. Designing for the 'average person' ensures that products will perfectly fit every individual user without need for modification.
  • D. The most successful designs are those that prioritize aesthetic appeal and cost-cutting over functional ergonomics.
Question 3 of 7
How does the design of the modern soda can illustrate the engineering principle of trade-offs?
  • A. It sacrifices structural strength entirely to prioritize how many cans can fit on a grocery store shelf.
  • B. It uses a purely cuboid shape to maximize space, despite the high risk of sharp edges breaking under pressure.
  • C. It balances the structural strength of a cylinder with the stackability of a cuboid by using a well-designed top.
  • D. It relies on thicker, heavier materials to compensate for the inherent weakness of cylindrical shapes.
Question 4 of 7
According to the book, what role did scientific knowledge play in Charles Parsons's invention of the steam turbine?
  • A. It provided a step-by-step instruction manual that eliminated the need for any creative problem-solving.
  • B. It proved that previous engineering rules of thumb were completely useless and needed to be discarded immediately.
  • C. It allowed him to bypass trial and error entirely and build a perfectly efficient engine on his very first attempt.
  • D. It helped him understand what was possible, eliminating wasted guesswork and leading him to reliable rules of thumb faster.
Question 5 of 7
Why does the text argue that there is 'no such thing as a lone inventor' using the example of the electric light bulb?
  • A. Thomas Edison stole the original concept of the light bulb directly from his rival, Hiram Maxim.
  • B. Breakthroughs rely on the collective knowledge of previous generations and the contributions of teams, such as Maxim and Latimer's work on filaments.
  • C. Financial investors usually take the credit for the inventions created by solitary engineers working in isolation.
  • D. Lewis Latimer independently invented the light bulb without any prior knowledge of Edison's or Maxim's foundational work.
Question 6 of 7
What does the history of the microwave oven reveal about the complexity of innovation?
  • A. Innovations are often the result of complex, unpredictable adaptations and trade-offs rather than a straight path to a planned goal.
  • B. The best consumer products are usually invented by scientists who strictly intend to create household appliances from the start.
  • C. A lack of raw materials usually prevents an invention from ever being adapted for the mass consumer market.
  • D. Military technology rarely has any practical application in civilian life due to its highly specialized nature.
Question 7 of 7
How did the seventeenth-century BCE wine traders solve the problem of safely transporting their goods from Carchemish to Mari?
  • A. They built heavily armored conventional boats to fight off armed bandits on the rough Euphrates River.
  • B. They used a raft made of tree trunks and inflated goat skins, later selling the wood and riding donkeys back.
  • C. They negotiated a peace treaty with local bandits to ensure safe passage for their road caravans.
  • D. They fermented the wine during the journey to drastically reduce the weight of the cargo on the river.

The Things We Make — Full Chapter Overview

The Things We Make Summary & Overview

The Things We Make (2023) dispels the myth around some of the greatest and most ordinary inventions. It retells their making as a creative application of the engineering method, a principle that explains how people in ancient times built some of the marvels that still capture our imagination today.

Who Should Listen to The Things We Make?

  • Anyone fascinated about how things of beauty and utility are made
  • Engineering history buffs
  • Curious minds trying to apply the engineering method to their own lives

About the Author: Bill Hammack

Bill Hammack is as passionate on a page as he is on YouTube when explaining technological breakthroughs as the viral “Engineer Guy.” His efforts to take engineering to the masses have earned him the Edwin F. Church Medal and Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science. A professor of chemical engineering, he’s also authored and coauthored many engineering books, among them, Eight Amazing Engineering Stories, How Engineers Create the World, and The Chemical History of a Candle.

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