In My Humble Opinion A collection of my writings, published and not, over more than 30 years: editorials, book reviews, articles on quality, reliability, safety, management, education, stupidity, and other topics. More...
	The New Management of Engineering (2005) Managing engineering is more difficult, more demanding and more important than any other activity in modern society. The book explains how the principles of Peter Drucker's "New Management" should be applied to the human and technological aspects of engineering. It provides fresh insights into the management of design, test, manufacture and use. It explains the poverty of some of the ideas that dominate much of modern management. It is the only book on the subject that truly reflects the realities of engineering and explains how world-class engineering companies operate. Now revised, updated and re-published. (The book was originally published by John Wiley in 1994, under the title "The Practice of Engineering Management") More...
	Practical Reliability Engineering (Fourth edition 2002, revised 2006) The only book that treats reliability as essentially an engineering and management subject. Probably the world's most popular book on the subject, and now further updated and expanded (see the book's homepage for details). Covers all of the requirements of the ASQ examination for Certified Reliability Engineer. (ASQ members can order from ASQ). An answers manual for the student questions is available from the publisher. There is also a homepage, providing listings of suppliers, services, etc. More...
	Test Engineering (2001) Testing is an essential, expensive and difficult part of engineering design, development, manufacture and support. Yet it is rarely taught as part of engineering training, it is ignored in books on engineering management, and until now there have been no books that cover testing philosophy, methods, technology aspects, economics, and management. This new book is the first to do so. It emphasises an integrated, multidisciplinary approach, and the use of highly accelerated stress testing. There is also a homepage, providing listings of suppliers, services, etc... More...
	The Walter Minion Saga FICTION: (Well, not entirely!) A combination of black comedy, allegory, high adventure, passion, and exploration of human relationships in a crazy world. But what is reality, and what is delusion? FIND OUT
	Biography Digby Brand was the son of an English vicar. He grew up in rural England, then in about 1900 he emigrated to Argentina. He worked on sheep and cattle estancias and travelled widely over most of Patagonia. He met and fell in love with a girl whose family was descended from the Welsh pioneers. He crossed the continent to establish a new estancia high in the Andes, over the border into Chile, in desolate and unexplored country. Eventually they married, crossed the pampas to the Andes together, and started their large family. Their story is etched against the history of Patagonia, as they faced the harsh country and climate, hardship and isolation, joy and tragedy. The book traces the family roots in England and in Patagonia, describes the land and its history, and tells the inspiring and poignant story of a pioneer. More...
	Quality and Reliability Engineering International Wiley International. Editors Aarnout Brombacher (Europe) and Douglas Montgomery ( Arizona State University, USA). The bimonthly journal that links quality and reliability engineering, with the emphasis on practical application and modern technology. Includes reviews, special issues, events calendar, news digest, and more. I was UK Editor until September 1999. Past issues contain many of my editorials and reviews. More...

Wiley Series in Quality and Reliability Engineering J.Wiley

Editor: Patrick D.T. O'Connor

(If you would like to write a book for the series, contact Simone Taylor at Wiley. e-mail: sitaylor@wiley.co.uk )

Electronic Component Reliability. Finn Jensen, 1995.

Integrated Circuit Failure Analysis: A Guide to Preparation Techniques. Friedrich Beck, 1998.

Measurement and Calibration Requirements for Quality Assurance to ISO9000. Alan S. Morris, 1997.

Applied Fault Tree Analysis for Reliability and Risk Assessment. John Andrews, 2000.

Accelerated Reliability Engineering HALT and HASS. Gregg K. Hobbs, 2000.

ARTICLES, ETC...

Encyclopaedia Chapter:

Quality and Reliability Engineering. Encylopaedia of Physical Science and Technology (Academic Press).

Papers, etc.: (All available in "In My Humble Opinion"; see above)

IEC/ISO61508: Letter on the new standard on electronics/software safety, published in IEE, IEEE Spectrum Aug 2000. Read it? IEC61508

Reliability Past, Present and Future. Paper published in IEEE Trans Reliability, 2001. Read it? Reliability 2000

Is scientific management dead? (An article on the adverse effects of reliance on "scientific" methods, typified by ideas such as business process re-engineering (BPR), ISO9000, MBAs, etc. It has not been published, because journals like Havard Business Review and Management Today would not accept it. (Academic journals are reluctant to publish opinions that clash with the accepted wisdom). Read it? smdead

Standards in reliability and safety engineering. Reliability Engineering and System Safety (1998). Read it? standards

ISO9000: help or hoax? Quality World (1991). Read it? iso9000

Quantifying uncertainty in reliability and safety studies. Society of Reliability Engineers Symposium, Arnhem, 1993 (keynote paper). Read it? quantifyinguncertainty

Achieving World Class Quality and Reliability: Science or Art? Quality World (1993) Q&R Science or Art?

Quality and reliability: illusions and realities. Quality and Reliability Engineering International, vol. 9 163-168 (1993).

Statistics in quality and reliability: lessons from the past and future opportunities. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, vol. 34 23-33 (1991).

Reliability prediction: help or hoax? Solid State Technology (August 1990).

Reliability prediction: state of the art review. IEE Proc. vol. 133 Part A no. 4 (1986). (With L.N. Harris).

Effectiveness of formal reliability programmes. Quality and Reliability Engineering International, vol. 1 19-22 (1985).

Microelectronic systems reliability prediction. IEEE Trans Reliab. (USA) (April 1983).

Royal Air Force aero-engine logistics model. NATO conference on organisation of logistics systems, Luxembourg, 1972. (With J. Hough).