This provocative book introduces a brand-new synthesis of philosophy and self-help through the surprising perspective of engineering. Technology is not just a jumble of wires and metal but ideas whose origins can go back before recorded history. Engineering is simply the craft dedicated to applying existing technology to innovating practical and desired products. Before the rise of the wannabe self-help guru, the technology of preventing failure and maximizing the performance of the good life was the domain of the philosopher or religious leader. The engineering craft has developed useful tools and techniques for combining existing technology in new forms over the millennia. As a life engineer, one can use these tools and existing technology to cultivate their individual good life. This new package of very old ideas accessibly introduces engineering concepts to aid in the iterative learning of one's first-of-a-kind design.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Anderson has written a book that is intended to help people "live the good life," but instead of presenting the material through a vague self-help lens, he instead employs a more mathematical approach. The book offers a novel concept, but the execution can be very confusing at times. The layout of the book can make it unclear for the reader where one section and/or idea ends and another begins.
Prose: The prose is somewhat verbose and can feel circular and confusing at times.
Originality: Anderson's idea to develop a self-help book based on more engineering and mathematical principles than New Age ones is novel and interesting, but the result is uneven in its execution.
Character Development/Execution: This book can be difficult to navigate, causing the reader to lose the often rich lessons imbedded in the text. The substance of the book is valuable and intriguing; a degree of restructuring and editing of content, would allow this work to be substantially more accessible to readers.
Date Submitted: November 21, 2021
