Flirting with disaster: why accidents are rarely accidental

Description

Despite warnings of impending disaster, preemptive action is rarely taken by those who have the ability to do so. How do smart, high-powered people, leaders of global corporations, national institutions, even nations, often get it so wrong? While most investigations focus on the technical causes of disaster, this book examines the psychological, social, and cultural impediments to whistle-blowing, showing what we can do to reduce the possibility of disasters happening at all.;1. The bystanders among us. -- 2. Human biases and distortions. -- 3. Understanding uncertainty: why did so many people bet against Katrina? -- 4. Space Shuttle Challenger: cold, warm, and hot causes of disasters. -- 5. Chernobyl, faulty design, and the interplay of humans and technology. -- 6. The Vioxx disaster and BP: the seduction of profits. -- 7. When all the backups failed: how American F-15s accidentally shot down two U.S. Army Black Hawks. -- 8. Butterfly wings and stone heads: how complexity influences catastrophe in policy decisions. -- 9. The collapse of Arthur Andersen: the role of organizational culture. -- 10. When countries go bankrupt: the prisoner's dilemma writ large. -- 11. What have we learned? What can we do? -- 12. Advice for leaders. 1. The bystanders among us. -- 2. Human biases and distortions. -- 3. Understanding uncertainty: why did so many people bet against Katrina? -- 4. Space Shuttle Challenger: cold, warm, and hot causes of disasters. -- 5. Chernobyl, faulty design, and the interplay of humans and technology. -- 6. The Vioxx disaster and BP: the seduction of profits. -- 7. When all the backups failed: how American F-15s accidentally shot down two U.S. Army Black Hawks. -- 8. Butterfly wings and stone heads: how complexity influences catastrophe in policy decisions. -- 9. The collapse of Arthur Andersen: the role of organizational culture. -- 10. When countries go bankrupt: the prisoner's dilemma writ large. -- 11. What have we learned? What can we do? -- 12. Advice for leaders.