Richard E. Klein

After giving and supporting 50 plus reasons not to become a mechanical engineer, the author, Richard E. Klein, wraps up his diatribe by stating what must be done to correct the problems with the profession, problems that have been in the making since the steam age. The first printing of this book was written in the mid-1980s when the author was approaching middle age. Issues raised could have come from the frustrations faced when careers aren’t progressing, or when not getting sought recognition. Despite putting down his profession throughout the book, Klein says at the end that, as a retired ME professor, he feels happy that he chose mechanical engineering as a career and that he wouldn’t change anything.

Most of his mechanical engineering denunciation focuses on how there are no barriers to non-mechanical engineers performing ME work. In my experience, most manufacturing facilities utilizing machinery in their manufacturing process have mechanics on staff who are able to fix the company’s machinery when it breaks down. It’s a simple matter of part replacement. Most of the good staff mechanics analyze the cause of the part failing thus reducing the likelihood of another machine shutdown for the same reason. It is therefore easy for me to agree with Klein when he says that ME’s have become redundant.

To further support his point, Klein points out that, in many situations where a mechanical engineer would be called on, a representative from one of the other engineering professions, who know something of material stresses and design, can freely perform mechanical engineering work fully unhindered by regulations or ME professional restraints.

With all the problems raised for the profession, Klein failed to adequately address the solutions. Solutions proffered involved steps to gain back professional respect and exclusivity. But this is unlikely to happen with graduating students being more concerned with finding a job than fighting the good fight. These men and women have spent four to six years of time and expense getting their ME degree(s) and are not inclined to declare their educational pursuit a waste.

I came away from reading the book wondering for whom the book was written. Is the author trying to discourage aspiring students from considering the profession? Does he hope to motivate the ME professional association to enact rules and restrictions that promote professional exclusivity? As a ‘Circling the Drain’ reader who comes from a non-engineering profession, I arrived at the conclusion that there was no solution for the profession’s ills raised in the book and that mechanical engineering profession is doomed to be absorbed into other engineering disciplines.… (more)

I received this review copy as part of the LibraryThing Member give away. A short and humorously, brutally honest discussion on the pitfalls of entering the noble profession of mechanical engineering in the late 20th, early 21st century. Mechanical engineering once was a vital part of industry. It is, as the author says a bipartisan relationship between thermodynamics (heat transfer) and the design of machines in which to contain the energy created by thermodynamics. Early exponents of mechanical engineering include such famous names as Leonardo Da Vinci, and James Watt. Containing steam into small spaces and then utilising the energy therein was the basis of the Industrial Revolution. Engines to work in factories, steam engines for vehicles - trains and shipping, all depended upon the skill of the mechanical engineer to make sure nothing exploded. However, as Klein states Mechanical Engineering has its origins in solving problems of work and creating solutions for the common people's workload. This meant and still means that Mechanical Engineering has terminology of the everyday person, rather than the exact terminology of the more educated fields of engineering such as Civil Engineering - a metre is a metre, Electrical Engineering - turn it on and power goes through, turn it off and power stops, Electronic Engineering - a byte is a byte, and even Mecatronics the mutated child of Mechanical Engineering and Electronic Engineering which at the most basic level looks at creating drones and robotics.
Knowing something about Mechanical Engineering I found this an interesting book to read. I agree that over the past 50 years or so, the terminology of Mechanical Engineering has shifted into meaning something else. For example, two of my nephews who are brothers both pleased their grandfather and their teachers when they told them their career choice was to become and engineer. Sadly the teachers did not realise that both boys and their grandfather were talking about becoming a member of a train crew - the engineer in the engine. As this job no longer exists, one simply sits in the cab of an electric or diesel train and keeps it on the rails, rather than monitoring the pressure of the boiler as stoked by the fireman, both boys failed in career choice one.
However, despite the changing face of Mechanical Engineering, the author, who has lectured in the subject for over 30 years and who has also researched mechanical problems aiming to produce better products, states that Mechanical Engineering is a worthwhile profession as long as you approach it with the right mindset. That mindset is "to develop arête. Arête is a Greek word that reflects the desire for a wholeness in life. A whole person dislikes specialization and the localized concept of seeking efficiency via concentrating on one skill to the virtual exclusion of other skills. People who possess arête achieve a sense of global optimization. They enhance their ability to function in the world by being generalists. this one reason is so strong that it outweighs every other possible career choice or reasons against mechanical engineering." (page 21) Although to be fair, there are other professions which are able to also attain arête or generalisation. My approach to my profession of librarian is that of developing arête, generalisation via multiple specialisations that don't scare the horses.
Klein offers the reader 56 for and against entering the career of Mechanical Engineer, and he does so with gentle humour. However, he is not stinting to laying blame at the door of the American Association of Mechanical Engineers, an aged organisation which does not appear to have made attempts to expose the profession to modernity and modern problems, nor expose American industry to the importance of the role of Mechanical Engineers.
Finally, although there are student Mechanical Engineers today, they study problems in a greatly different environment. they rely upon the work of the Electrical and Electronic Engineer - that is computers. Where once, to visualise two-dimensional fluid flow, a free-surface water table was used, now the flows are computer generated. I remember participating in an experiment on a free-surface water table, the Mechanical Engineers were having so much fun as they modified variables. And slide rules rather than calculators OMG, I still have mine, the half inch (1.5cm) thick book on the subtleties of the slide rule sits beside it, and I have deep affection for the card reader, I am sure there are some computer cards floating around my home, stuck in books as bookmarks.
Just as going outside and building things out of what you find and seeing how they work is much more fun and often more educational for children that "building" the same item on a computer screen, so too getting your hands dirty in Mechanical Engineering projects is so much more satisfying than using a computer. Klein describes the problem of the bicycle - a bicycle works but no one seems to know the reason why. So too does a tricycle, but the standard tricycle format is dangerous with a tendency to topple and be difficult to ride. Klein invented the Big Wheel Tricycle - one lower to the ground and designed to have the ability to stay upright and yet stop quickly with reduced risk of injury to the rider. Unfortunately, the Big Wheel tricycle has not become the industry standard, and I can't help but wonder if that is partly because although one can prove it is safer than the standard tricycle, it is difficult to prove the standard tricycle should be withdrawn from the market altogether - especially as it has been on the market for over 100 years.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and Klein has promised to write at least one other book this time with more bon mots, and maybe a little less Mechanical Engineering and that book may suit more readers than this one will.… (more)

In this book Richard E. Klein, professor in mechanical engineering, gives his point of view on the state of his discipline, the job market situation and the career possibilities. The book contains a few reasons in favor and a lot of reasons against choosing mechanical engineering. From time to time the author recounts episodes from his professional contacts with the industry. It is a must read if you are evaluating a major in mechanical engineering in the United States.

The point of view of Prof. Klein is very negative and seems to want to discourage students from starting studies in this domain. My interpretation is that the author wants to strengthen the resolve of those who are really interested and suggest alternatives to those that are not so sure of their choices. I also think that the realities described in this book apply mostly to the US job market. The situation in the rest of the world may be different, in terms of job market demand and professional protection.… (more)