NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2018 BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES A groundbreaking take on how complexity causes
failure in all kinds of modern systems--from social media to air travel--this practical and
entertaining book reveals how we can prevent meltdowns in business and life Endlessly
fascinating brimming with insight and more fun than a book about failure has any right to be
Meltdown will transform how you think about the systems that govern our lives. This is a
wonderful book.--Charles Duhigg author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better A crash
on the Washington D.C. metro system. An accidental overdose in a state-of-the-art hospital. An
overcooked holiday meal. Surprising new research shows that all these events--and the myriad
failures that dominate headlines every day--share 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 András Tilcsik explain how the increasing complexity of our systems
creates conditions ripe for failure and why our brains and teams can't keep up--with an
emphasis on practical solutions. It's an eye-opening empowering and entirely original
book--one that will change the way you see our complex world and your own place in it.
