It's easy to over engineer, using more resources and time than is required to solve a problem. The real challenge of engineering is to fit the cheapest fastest practicalest solution to your problem. Most solutions seem to start out over engineered. At the start of a new project you are looking for any solution that works. Once something works, it requires more time to improve on the prototype.
It doesn't seem like Glassonos is describing over engineering as I understand it. Possibly he's describing scope creep? In general, people should actively discourage extra scope from creeping in to their projects. But I need some examples to illustrate what I'm talking about, as does the OP.
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It's easy to over engineer, using more resources and time than is required to solve a problem. The real challenge of engineering is to fit the cheapest fastest practicalest solution to your problem. Most solutions seem to start out over engineered. At the start of a new project you are looking for any solution that works. Once something works, it requires more time to improve on the prototype.
It doesn't seem like Glassonos is describing over engineering as I understand it. Possibly he's describing scope creep? In general, people should actively discourage extra scope from creeping in to their projects. But I need some examples to illustrate what I'm talking about, as does the OP.