December 22, 2021Book Review: Upstream
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen is one of the more interesting books I read this year. As an engineer, the premise appeals to me broadly. I know that we can fix problems before they happen, or at least before they become too big. Doing so would be massively efficient for any household, business, or for society as a whole.
On the whole, Upstream felt like a manifesto for how I wish the world worked. The author, Dan Heath, makes a compelling case for solving problems before they become failures in the system, using stories that mirror the thinking and frameworks we rely on every day. The book doesn’t offer much in the way of new technical implementations, but it does articulate the mindset shift required to move from firefighting to fire prevention. For anyone like me who has ever said “there has to be a better way,” Upstream is a satisfying reminder that there usually is, as long as you are willing to look earlier in the pipeline.