Alumni Book Nook: Chris Himsl (BE’82)

University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate Chris Himsl (BE’82), who earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree at USask in 1982, has written his first book. The memoir, titled Engineering the Soul: A Working Life Memoir, was released on Aug. 26, 2026.

Himsl, who was raised in Moose Jaw, Sask., is a writer and a retired mechanical engineer who spent 39 years working in engineering in Calgary, Alta., and other Canadian cities. Over the years his written work has been published in Our Canada, Gator Springs Gazette, 10 By 10 Flash, and the Calgary Herald, and he has also written and recorded an essay for CBC Radio. Himsl lives in Calgary with his wife of more than 35 years. They have two children.

The Green&White recently asked Himsl about Engineering the Soul: A Working Life Memoir and what inspired him to write the book.

What have you been doing since you graduated from USask?

I worked in Ontario for two years and took six months to travel the South Pacific. I returned to Saskatchewan for a couple of years and ended up in Calgary, where I have been ever since.

What is the focus of your new book?

My book centres around work, doubt, responsibility, family, retirement, and the quiet questions that follow a long career. It is a candid and often funny look at what it means to build a steady life, wonder if it was enough, and slowly come to accept the choices that shaped it.

What inspired you to write this book?

I built a career without the spark people insist you’re supposed to have. I didn’t chase a calling. I didn’t reinvent myself. I simply worked, provided, and kept going, while a small voice in the background wondered if I’d settled. After I retired, I went looking for validation—a book about someone who chose the steady road and didn’t regret it. I couldn’t find it, so I decided to write it.

Did your education at USask play a role in researching and/or writing this book?

Yes. My education at the University of Saskatchewan plays a significant role in the early chapters of the book. I write about the challenges of navigating engineering school, the friendships and experiences that came with it, and occasionally wondering why I needed to know things like how to derive Castigliano’s theorem. Those years helped shape not only my career, but also the way I came to think about work, expectations, and the choices we make along the way.

Why would you recommend your book to USask alumni?

This book is for anyone who has ever wondered whether a steady life was enough. Engineering the Soul offers an honest and often humorous look at work, doubt, responsibility, retirement, and the quiet dignity of staying the course. I think many USask alumni will recognize something of their own journey in its reflections on education, career, family, and the unexpected ways a life can unfold.

What are five adjectives that you would use to describe your book?

Relatable, candid, humorous, reflective, and thought-provoking.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Looking back, my years at the University of Saskatchewan were an important part of the path that eventually led to this book. They gave me the education that launched my engineering career, but also friendships, experiences, and more than a few lessons in perseverance. I learned how to learn, and also how to fail. It seems fitting that a memoir about work, uncertainty, and finding some peace with the life I built should trace part of its story back to where all of this really began.