The truly professional engineer, in addition to his or her specialised technical knowledge, should posses a high level of communication and management skills and a detailed understanding of engineering's environment and historical context.

The authors describe the skills and background knowledge the effective engineer will need and go on to describe the historical development of the engineering profession, with particular reference to the UK but also in comparison with the French and German experiences. Similarly, the development of management and organisation theory is traced and brought up to date with an examination of successful management practices in the USA and Japan. Theory and practice are brought together in a chapter on the management of change, which examines the effects that change in technology and the external environment have on organisational structures and people. Issues of vital importance to engineering today are examined 'environment and safety' (including case study analyses of major disasters such as Chernobyl and Bhopal), and 'the regeneration of British industry' (including assessments of 'post industrial society' and 'anti-industrial culture'). The last two sections describe a conceptual approach to report writing which will help engineers to communicate their technical expertise more effectively on paper, and a similar analysis of the skills required for oral presentations.

Assignments, practical exercises and study questions are set at the end of each chapter.