Books about errors

Analyzes the social side of technological risk. This book argues that the conventional engineering approach to ensuring safety - building in more warnings and safeguards - fails because systems complexity makes failures inevitable. It asserts that typical precautions, by adding to complexity, may help create new categories of accidents.

For all those who have ever feared being shown up by using one of the twenty worst words and phrases to be avoided at all costs, or confusing the complex with the complicated, this trouble-shooting guide to common errors in English should be able to help.

An exploration of one of the paradoxes of history: the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests.

Talks about the mysterious collapse of past civilizations - and what this means for the future. Bringing together evidence from many sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, this book shows how unlike our ancestors we can benefit from our knowledge of the past.

Lonely Planet founder, Tony Wheeler, joins other authors in a collection of travel disaster stories. Mishaps include a rampaging elephant in Sri Lanka and a drunken shoot-out in Tibet.

This work seeks to explain why the Challenger tragedy must be re-examined and offers a warning about the hidden hazards of living in this technological age.

Gary Klein is one of the developers of the naturalistic decision making approach, which views people as inherently skilled and experienced. This work documents human strengths and capabilities.

The commission has produced a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for the immediate response to the attacks. It also provides recommendations to safeguard against future attacks.

Defensive design is like defensive driving brought to the Web. Good site defense can make or break the customer experience. This book shows the right (and wrong) ways to get defensive, offers guidelines to prevent errors and rescue customers if a breakdown occurs.It also shows you how to evaluate and improve your own site's defensive design.