Applied Minds

" Engineering comes in many forms. Dubai's Burj Khalifa—the world's tallest building—looks nothing like Microsoft's Office Suite, and digital surround sound doesn't work like a city-wide telecommunication grid. Yet these engineering feats have much in common. Applied Minds explores the unique visions and mental tools of engineers and reveals the enormous—and often understated—influence they wield in transforming problems into opportunities. Guru Madhavan's account pairs the innovators of modern history—Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Steve Jobs—with everything from ATMs and the ZIP code system to the disposable diaper. He peeks into the inner workings of complex systems and celebrates the men and women who shape our world. Anecdotal, insightful and ultimately visionary, Applied Minds charts a path to a future where we might apply strategies borrowed from engineering to create useful and inspired solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. "