Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

A groundbreaking take on how complexity causes failure in all kinds of modern systemsfrom social media to air travelthis practical and entertaining book reveals how we can prevent meltdowns in business and life. A crash on the Washington D.C. metro system. An accidental overdose in a state-of-the-art hospital. An overcooked holiday meal. At first glance these disasters seem to have little in common. But surprising new research shows that all these eventsand the myriad failures that dominate headlines every dayshare similar causes. By understanding what lies behind these failures we can design better systems make our teams more productive and transform how we make decisions at work and at home. Weaving together cutting-edge social science with riveting stories that take us from the frontlines of the Volkswagen scandal to backstage at the Oscars and from deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico to the top of Mount Everest Chris Clearfield and Andrs Tilcsik explain how the increasing complexity of our systems creates conditions ripe for failure and why our brains and teams cant keep up. They highlight the paradox of progress: Though modern systems have given us new capabilities theyve become vulnerable to surprising meltdownsand even to corruption and misconduct. But Meltdown isnt just about failure; its about solutionswhether youre managing a team or the chaos of your familys morning routine. It reveals why ugly designs make us safer how a five-minute exercise can prevent billion-dollar catastrophes why teams with fewer experts are better at managing risk and why diversity is one of our best safeguards against failure. The result is an eye-opening empowering and entirely original bookone that will change the way you see our complex world and your own place in it.