Impossible Engineering: Technology and Territoriality on the Canal du Midi (review)

Chandra Mukerji's book, Impossible Engineering: Technology and Territoriality on the Canal du Midi, challenges the traditional narrative of Pierre-Paul Riquet as a solitary genius behind France's iconic 17th-century canal. Instead, it argues that the Canal du Midi was a product of collective intelligence, involving tax farmer Riquet, learned experts, artisans, and Pyrenean peasant women who contributed unique hydraulic techniques. Mukerji introduces the concept of 'distributed cognition' to explain how diverse actors collaborated despite social and cultural divides. However, her assertion that these groups were all 'Romans'—sharing a tacit knowledge of Roman engineering—is critiqued for oversimplifying historical technological evolution. The book offers a nuanced perspective on collective technical action but leaves some arguments unconvincing.

Graber, F. (2011). Impossible Engineering: Technology and Territoriality on the Canal du Midi (review). Technology and Culture, 52(3), 620–622. https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2011.0087