The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

The amazing power of the common checklist is revealed by the New York Times bestselling author of Better and Complications.

Our world is becoming more and more complicated, making it difficult for even the most skilled people to complete the duties at hand. More sophisticated technology and longer training programs don't appear to be able to stop serious mistakes. However, renowned author and physician Atul Gawande discovers a solution in the most basic and modest method possible: the checklist. This is a positive development. Checklists, which were first used by the U.S. Air Force decades ago, have allowed pilots to operate aircraft with astounding levels of complexity. Currently, creative checklists are being used in hospitals all around the globe, assisting medical professionals in responding to avalanches and flu outbreaks. A simple ninety-second variation has reduced the incidence of deaths by more than a third, even in the very intricate field of surgery.

Gawande tells us gripping tales from Austria, where a cleaning checklist in critical care units almost eradicated a dangerous hospital infection, to Michigan, where an emergency checklist rescued a drowning victim who had been submerged for thirty minutes. He describes the true mechanism via which checklists produce remarkable and instantaneous benefits. Additionally, he extends the checklist revolution into industries well beyond health, including investment banking, building skyscrapers, disaster relief, and all types of business.

The Checklist Manifesto is a must-read for everyone trying to do things right. It's an intellectual journey where lives are lost and rescued and one little concept makes a big impact.