From To Engineer is Human to The Essential Engineer, Henry Petroski is the go-to expert on the history of engineering, especially on success and failure of engineering designs. His latest book is the product of a lifetime spent reading, writing, and talking about engineers and engineering-An Engineer's Alphabet: Gleanings from the Softer Side of a Profession.

An Engineer's Alphabet is a Petroskian selection of quotations, anecdotes, facts, trivia, and arcana relating to the practice, history, culture, and traditions of his profession. Intriguing, quirky, and at times surprising, this abecedarium is crammed with entertaining and eclectic entries covering the vast range of engineering fields, including (but not limited to): chemical, computer, electrical, civil, environmental, architectural, and many more.

Why write about a profession more known for its technical rigors and stuffy popular image? As Petroski says:

Engineers cannot easily be leaders beyond the technical sphere without also having a sense of their own profession's culture and traditions.... An Engineer's Alphabet is meant to call attention to the importance of putting the quantitative engineer in touch with qualitative language and thought, emphasizing the importance of both sides of the brain to truly creative engineering.

This month, the Cambridge Book Club is talking about all things engineering. You can view our slideshow, browse Henry Petroski's bookshelf, or test your engineering IQ with our quiz. We are also excited to announce our interactive Q&A, where we invite you to send us your questions for Henry-participants are automatically entered in a giveaway for a copy of An Engineer's Alphabet! Then join the discussion on Facebook, or chime in on Twitter using the hashtag #cambridgeideas.