This is a personal story of the educational process at one of the world's great technological universities. Pepper White entered MIT in 1981 and received his master's degree in mechanical engineering in 1984. His account of his experiences, written in diary form, offers insight into graduate school life in general-including the loneliness and even desperation that can result from the intense pressure to succeed-and the purposes of engineering education in particular. The first professor White met at MIT told him that it did not really matter what he learned there, but that MIT would teach him how to think. This, then, is the story of how one student learned how to think. There have of course been changes at MIT since 1984, but its essence is still the same. White has added a new preface and concluding chapter to this edition to bring the story of his continuing education up to date.

About the Author

Pepper White owns the consulting firm LCI Energy.

Reviews

Test anxiety, lab-project drama and stylish prose propel White's recollections with enough force to make three years of engineering study compelling reading. (Sept.)