A Transylvanian Jewish Yankee at King Obtuse's Court: Engineering Apologetics and Autobiographical Fiction Based on Four Decades of International Prac

This is a fiction reflecting on my engineering life. Fourty years of autobiographical recollections are blended with an allegory about battles raging between spirits in a parallel reality. You can read about general philosophical concepts related to engineering ethics, professional morality and connections between engineering, visual art, music and architecture. Making industrial safety cost-effective, work on weapons manufacturing and other moral decisions faced by engineers are discussed, together with the topic of corruption in engineering practice. Issues of my personal faith applied to engineering practice are explained.The second chapter deals with engineering practice from my Judeo-Christian worldview, peppered with my first-hand engineering experiences in four countries: Romania, Israel, Hungary and the USA. The role of innovation in engineering practice, barriers to exercising innovation, or applying innovation for the wrong motifs are discussed. Engineering education is also discussed at length, while engineering design and engineering failures are brought to the fore, as manifestation of morality in engineeringThe final and third chapter discusses the place of engineers in society, their relationship with management, unions and each other. The role of good oral and written communications is emphasized in an effort to bridge the gap between engineering and humanities, as well as other professions such as financial experts, lawyers, medical doctors, etc.Opinions and recommendations are given to improve the understanding between engineers and humanities, arts, etc. and better perception of engineers in society at large. Based on my deep belief in the overwhelming role of engineering education on shaping young minds, the book ends on a positive note, leaving the reader wondering about the fate of the fictional characters encountered in the book.