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 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.
But Meltdown isn’t just about failure; it’s about solutions–whether you’re managing a team or the chaos of your family’s 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 persity is one of our best safeguards against failure. The result is 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.