We have a wicked problem!

This book is not just about "wicked problems"; it is also about ways to engineer a better world. Its author, Guru Madhavan, is a systems engineer, but his amazing sweep of knowledge about policymaking and his lateral thinking connect the world of engineering with the imperatives of a civic purpose through the resolution of what he describes as wicked problems.

What are wicked problems? Dwelling on this intriguing concept, the author places problems under four broad categories: hard, soft, messy, and wicked. Hard problems, according to him, can arise from the play of market imperatives and even from the way basic scientific principles operate or malfunction, such as the need to check in at an airport within a given time frame or booking a hotel through a quick response (QR) code. Hard problems, therefore, can be solved with relative ease with the use of available knowledge and experience. These are perhaps the easiest of problems to solve from both an engineering and a social point of view.

Soft problems are a little complicated as they are a product of human behaviour, influenced as they are by social, political, and psychological factors. As the author argues, soft problems cannot be solved; they can only be resolved. Take, for instance, traffic congestion. There is no easy solution to such a soft problem. Its solution would depend on the behaviour traits of the people in a certain place, the political system at work, and the rules enforcement mechanism in use. Indeed, as a well-known comparative analysis of traffic management in Hanoi with that in Old Delhi had concluded, what works in one city simply fails in the other. Thus, there is always an optimal – not necessarily the best – resolution of a soft problem, based on local practices and specific behaviour patterns.

The complexities of a messy problem are even more confounding. A messy problem could arise out of an intricate religious belief or even a political dogma that underlines the importance of, say, nativism, xenophobia or fundamentalism. As in Satyajit Ray's film Ganashatru, adapted from a play by Henrik Ibsen, a primary civic responsibility of providing safe drinking water became a messy problem, simply because scientific temper was of no use or effect against a deeply entrenched superstitious belief in the medicinal value and efficacy of water from a polluted water stream. And if political forces conspire to take advantage of the situation for short-term electoral gains, the messy problem can become even messier. The only way a messy problem can be solved is by transforming it to a different state where it becomes manageable. Such a transformation could be in the realm of politics or administration. But a messy problem, undoubtedly, can pose a formidable challenge.

It is against the backdrop of such a masterly elucidation of the hard, soft, and messy problems that Madhavan's idea of wicked problems makes its debut in this book. He argues that a wicked problem surfaces when hard, soft, and messy problems collide. "Hardness is nestled in soft problems, and hardness and softness reside within messy problems," the author argues, adding that a wicked problem emerges from their confluence like a "cubist collage, where the truth is simultaneously sharp, shaky, and squiggly". The book, therefore, looks at how hard problems become soft, how soft problems become messy, and how the three combine to produce a wicked problem. An attempt has been made to provide "a balanced blend of hard solutions, soft resolutions, and messy dissolutions to wicked problems". And this is sought to be achieved through a systems engineering approach that is aimed at designing or building systems to meet the goals while balancing competing interests.

The highlight of the book, however, is not the detailed explanation of the different types of problems and an analysis of attempts to resolve them by using systems engineering as a methodology. There is another powerful concurrent strand that the book unravels. That is where the book unspools the story of Edwin Albert Link Jr., an engineer cast aside from popular memory but who invented the Link Trainer, which kicked off the multi-billion-dollar flight simulator industry. This is an amazing story of how Ed Link's invention brought about a fundamental change in the aviation industry: it was arguably as revolutionary as what the Wright Brothers had achieved with their invention of the aeroplane. The social or civic quotient of the Link Trainer was no less important. Not only did it enable reliable and routine landings, but it also freed up many airplanes, which would have otherwise been used to train pilots, for profitable use elsewhere. With fewer flying mishaps during training, the social and economic impact of the invention was no less than the psychological impact it had on trainee pilots.

The author's assessment of Ed Link and his contribution to the aviation industry is best summed up when, in response to a question, the inventor of the flight simulator is quoted as saying that he was not really a genius because anyone else could achieve what he did if only they were "willing to work at it and study it... Most people don't want to spend that much time". The refrain of problems makes a subtle appearance here as well when Madhavan concludes that "Ed Link's systems design undeniably had a placid sense of simplicity, veracity, and gravity, applicable to solving, resolving, and dissolving hard, soft, and messy problems." Wicked problems are not specifically mentioned here, but then they are produced through a collision of hard, soft, and messy problems!

A breath of fresh air wafts through this book when it dwells on how engineering can bring about social change or civic improvement. The author points out how "excess rationality can misdirect engineering to mindless, mechanistic goals". Perhaps nothing could be more painful than the harsh reality of mindless engineering ambitions sought to be fulfilled in many developing countries, prodded and prompted by politicians or administrators who believe that an engineering marvel alone can be a solution to the problems that societies or governments face.

A fascinating section explores how social engineering as a phrase usually has a negative connotation as opposed to many other phrases such as social innovation, social capital, social justice, and social sciences, all of which present immense possibilities for change and improvement in society and the governance structure. Why should social engineering be understood in a pejorative sense, generating angst about potential harm, asks the author. And his answer, arising out of genuine concern, is that if engineering is undertaken without caring for its social consequences, the outcome is likely to be "far more pernicious". This message can be ignored by society only at its own peril. Engineering must justify itself with a social purpose if it wishes to solve any problem. If this is not done, the danger is that such an approach could give rise to more wicked problems.

In each of the book's six chapters, interestingly named after the six degrees of freedom in which an aircraft moves, Madhavan profiles a specific concept in engineering or major events, and discusses its hard, soft, messy, and wicked formulations. The coverage of these concepts is wide-ranging, exploring battleship designs, carpentry, the management of a volcano, and how a board game can provide inputs for managing trash or how safety standards may be conceived from the experience of magicians. The author uses the prism of engineering vulnerabilities and problems to provide a fascinating retelling of how a huge molasses tank burst in Boston or how New York City's Twin Towers collapsed after planes crashed into them on 9/11. The broad message that this book conveys is that engineering can solve problems of different types, but its application without a deep understanding of its social impact can be harmful to society. Engineering, after all, is a matter of social and cultural choices, and the key is to avoid traps laid by novelty claiming to transform society.

In short, Madhavan has produced a book that provides a magisterial view of not just the life and contribution of Ed Link for laying down a sustainable growth path for the entire aviation industry, but also a critical assessment of how engineering can play a more useful role in society by becoming more relevant socially and more effective in solving hard, soft, messy, and wicked problems. The concurrent strands that run through this book may pose accessibility problems for some readers initially. But a closer read of the different chapters and an understanding of the logic of its structure should dispel those early inhibitions about the book's accessibility. The book presents engineering and engineers as far more socially relevant than is commonly understood from their conventional image nurtured over the years. That message is worth its weight in gold.

A.K. Bhattacharya is Editorial Director, Business Standard.