图书作者与内容简介

"Skunk Works" is a memoir documenting the Lockheed Skunk Works project under Kelly Johnson and Ben Rich. Written by Ben Rich, father of modern stealth aircraft, and Leo Janos, former speech writer for Lyndon Johnson,  it details the operations’ impact on the Cold War and aviation technologies. In this autobiography, one can vividly see Rich’s admiration for his mentor Kelly Johnson, his turmoil extending the legacy of the Skunk Works, and finally his optimism for future Skunk Works style operations.

我的观点

Ever since my early years, the brilliance of former engineering titans like Nikola Tesla has captivated me. Inspired by these legends, my lifelong aspiration has been to dedicate my life to the path of invention. However, I lacked a clear understanding of what it meant to become an inventor, the essence of their work and the journey to becoming one. The closest occupation I found was an engineering career, but I did not want to spend my life optimizing or discovering new technologies. It was not until I delved deeper into 「Skunk Works:, that I truly grasped the essence of the term 「inventor」.

According to Cambridge dictionary, a Skunk Works project is one that is 「a small department that is allowed to operate outside the normal procedures of a company so that it has the freedom to develop new ideas.」 And innovate they did. The legacy of the Skunk Works is brilliantly compressed into this magnificent chronicle of history. The Skunk Works produced one of the recognizable aircraft of the Cold War era, devised a management system unlike any other and indirectly affected the outcome of wars. They are the pinnacle of innovation, leadership and patriotism, continuing to inspire generations to come.

What made me fall in love with this book is seeing the mechanics of the Skunk Works system. The mentorship between Kelly Johnson and Ben Rich, the acceptance of ideas from younger less experienced engineers and atmosphere of the workplace. The Skunk Works operates such a well developed system that sometimes seems too good to be true. 

Kelly Johnson takes up much of the book. As Ben Rich’s mentor and the father of the Skunk Works, he obviously left behind a legacy difficult to match. Bashful, hot headed, and impatient, he is an imposing figure that never let bureaucracy or engineering problems slow him down. Ben Rich on the other hand, is a stark contrast to his mentor. As Kelly’s successor, he was a major force continuing the Skunk Works, proving to all that the Skunk Works style management was possible and could be replicated. Together, both Kelly and Rich built a foundation for later generations to stand on.

The Skunk Works had come a long way to becoming a major player in the aeronautical business. What has always remained true, is the spirit of the operation. The mentality of the operation is of innovation, pragmatism, secrecy, and a strong commitment to excellence. Instead of doing things by the book, this group of engineers were great improvisers, risk takers and creative workers. Working against the clock and budgetary constraints, the Skunk Works provided the US with an edge over its adversaries. Compared to other manufacturers, they employed practices ahead of their time, and managed to make sure they were continued to this day. For example, the relationship between Kelly and Ben displays that the mentorship and knowledge transfer are essential to ensure that the division's principles and practices endure. 

After reading the book, I realized that I had always been looking at an inventor the wrong way. An inventor is not an occupation, rather a mindset that drives people to challenge the boundaries of their imagination. From a demoted court official penning a literary masterpiece to a group of engineers breaking the sound barrier, becoming an inventor has nothing to do with your age, background or education. What every inventor is at heart, is a boldness to go against common sense to create something unimaginable. They strive to challenge the boundaries of reality, their wit and grit acting as their only guides. These men and women build and create not for money, but to fulfill a hungry desire to break the boundaries of impossibility, creating endless possibilities.