Books will be added to this list as I become aware of them:

“Drilling Down: The Gulf Oil Debacle and Our Energy Dilemma“, Joseph A. Tainter and Tadeusz W. Patzek, Copernicus (Springer), 2012 (ISBN 978-1441976765)

I currently use this book in my class on Learning from Disaster.  An excellent resource on the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo well disaster, and some of the broader issues involved concerning the increasing complexity in our search for energy.

“Drift into Failure: from Hunting Broken Components to Understanding Complex Systems“, Sidney Dekker, Ashgate, 2011 (ISBN 978-1-4094-2221-1)

I also use this text currently in my class at SBU — contains an informative and in depth analysis of systems-level thinking, the nature and role of complexity, and how understanding non-linearity of cause and effect in complex systems can help us understand the causes of engineering failure.

“Inviting Disaster: Lessons From the Edge of Technology“, by James R. Chiles, Harper Business, New York, 2002

This is one of the books recently used in the course at SBU.  It is an easy read, and includes some good technical details along with good narrative.  Good for introductory courses, as well as the general reader.

“To Engineer is Human“,  by Henry Petroski, Vintage Books, New York, 1992

A true classic on engineers and failure, and how engineers learn from their mistakes.  Good for introductory courses, as well as the general reader.

“Set Phasers on Stun“, by Steven Casey, Aegean Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, 1993

Excellent narrative, not much on the technical details, buit exciting to read.  Good for the general reader.

“Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of America’s First Nuclear Accident“, by William McKeown, ECW Press, 2003

An exciting narrative about America’s first nuclear disaster (one which few have heard about).  A great read, good for general readers, as well as introductory or cross-disciplinary classes.

“Lessons Amid the Rubble: An Introduction to Post-Disaster Engineering and Ethics“, Sarah K.A. Pfatteicher, the Johns Hopkins University press, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-8018-9720-7).

This book focuses on the World Trade Center collapse after the events of 9-11, and has some great material on engineering ethics.

“Understanding How Components Fail“, 2nd edition, by Donald Wulpi, ASM press, 1999

An advanced text, good for professional engineers or advanced coursework.  See http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/menuitem.2b9d1953d012ee1480a3c01026e110a0?vgnextoid=698453501f0f8110VgnVCM100000701e010aRCRD&itemId=06812G&campaign=refpub&job=rpgn1053&ref=email for more information