Occupational Health and Safety Books

This book makes a strong attempt to properly diagnose the many RSI-related injuries however if you want to get the real diagnosis and cure yourself of RSI in a very short period of time like thousands of others have, read "The Mindbody Prescription" by John Sarno. It is available on Amazon. Just read the reviews for it.

Of the books that I bought, this is the best of the lot for information on Carpal Tunnel and all other repetiltion syndromes. Extremely helpfu.

If you want to buy just one book on this subject, then this is the one

When I was managing a software development group, a programmer on the team showed up at work one day with wrist braces. Turns out typing had become agony for him. He read this book, then diligently and conscientiously followed some of the recommended practices (strength training, yoga, serious workplace ergonomic changes). The wrist braces are gone, and his career has been saved.

You can't fix anything just by reading a book. You *can* fix things when you understand the problem and have some ways to combat it. This book can give you both.

This is by far the best source of information and guidance on RSI that I've ever seen. It's the only book (along with dr. Pascarelli's books) that explains the true causes of RSI symptoms. It will help you understand what's happening to you if you have RSI, and it will help you manage your symptoms and find appropriate treatment. It's a must-have book if you live in an area or country where RSI specialists are hard to find.

This book is easy to read, has good illustrations, symptom descriptions, and suggestions for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

I found this to be the best book as far as having pictures to show how to do stretches and on good typing technique.

Other books I would recommend are:

`The Repetitive Strain Handbook by Robert M Simon, MD and Ruth Aleskovsky'.

`The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies'

`Living Better Every Patient's Guide to Living with Illness by Carol j. Langenfeld'.

This book is the single most useful collection of practical RSI information I've found. Highly recommended for anyone trying to figure out how to stop hurting themselves when they're working. I have bought four copies for friends.

"Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User's Guide" by Pascarelli is a good introduction for those who know nothing about RSI. Even a cursory search of the Internet will turn up several references to this book as the classic on the subject. It describes what RSI is, what the risk factors are, how to evaluate your physician in terms of his or her RSI awareness, how to treat RSI symptoms, and it offers tips on workstation configuration, typing and mouse technique, monitor settings, and daily living. If you think you have RSI and your first instinct is to go out and buy yourself a wrist wrest and a splint, stop and read this book first, it explains why these amateurish attempts at self treatment are a bad idea. I was disappointed that the book didn't offer more specific advice for actually treating RSI, though I understand that would have been difficult given the large number of causes and manifestations of the disorder. The book claims on the front cover to contain a "seven point program for treatment", but most of the advice for treatment itself consists of "go see a doctor". This is frustrating given the book's repeated claim that most doctors know nothing about RSI or don't even believe in it in the first place. Another thing that really annoyed me was the book's assertion that employers are largely responsible for RSI. The basic message was: "RSI isn't your fault. It's just another example of how `the Man' exploits you in a thankless and mindless job." In my case, my RSI was caused by my own obsessive work habits. The book does list "Driven Behavior" as a risk factor for RSI, but it gets only a perfunctory mention. Another negative is that the book focuses on tendonitis-type RSI, whereas my problem was clearly nerve-related (numbness, weakness, and lack of coordination in hands, forearms, and upper arms). The book that really nailed my problem on the head, and that I recommend as a supplement to this one if your RSI is caused by obsessive computer use, was "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!", by Damany, who worked under Pascarelli treating patients for many years.

After years of extreme pain caused by ...poor working conditions ..., I ended up disabled. I found this book four years later. In that time, I had seen two M.D.'s, three chiropracters and two orthopedic surgeons. I was diagnosed as having a pinched nerve.

After reading this book, I made an appointment with Dr. Pascarelli. I was the last new patient he took before retiring.

He diagnosed me as having thoracic outlet syndrome, and wrote up a script of physical therapy treatment for me, which I took back to Ohio and showed to the doctor's here. I still live in constant pain because of permanent muscle damage in my upper back because this wasn't diagnosed sooner, but at least the pain is bearable. I also have problems using my arms and hands. But, today I'm partially disabled instead of totally disabled.

Maybe, if one of the doctor's that had examined me before had Dr. Pascarelli's knowledge, I wouldn't be living in pain today. Or, if I had the knowledge this book provides....

If you use a computer, read this book and follow the advice. You don't have to end up living in pain.

This text is a valuable resource for those interested in the science of flooring and tribometry. The scope of topics is comprehensive and I especially appreciated the discussion of flooring types, cleaning methods, and maintenance in Chapter Six.

Mr. DiPilla's book is delightfully clear, concise and comprehensive. It educates the reader from the scope of slips and falls issues, to common procedures for recognizing and mitigating walkway hazards, to management control methods and accident investigation/claims mitigation. The text and illustrations read in a simple, common-sense way, showing the truth of Voltaire's comment that "common sense isn't so common."

Another noteworthy feature of this book are the remarkably comprehensive, annotated references to slip resistance principles, flooring, footwear and slip-resistance measurement techniques, both within the U. S. and internationally. The annotated listings of U. S. and international standards and guidelines in themselves provide the best collection of references I've seen on this complex subject. Remarkable.

David C. Underwood, Ph. D.

One might expect that evaluating the slip resistance of a walking surface is a straightforward procedure. Surely building codes contain specifications for slip resistant walkway surfaces and indicate procedures to evaluate available surfaces. You will not find these specifications or procedures in building codes and you will be frustrated and confused as you seek guidance. Slip and fall Prevention by Steven Dipilla is the best summary of up to date industry standards and test methods needed to perform meaningful evaluations. If you need guidance this should be the reference you purchase.

This book is a comprehensive reference on slips and falls and "must have" for every safety professional reference library. Very useful hazard recognition and prevention guidelines is offered for indoor and outdoor slips and falls from floors, stairs and ramps. In addition, this is one of the best references I've seen on slip-resistance measurement guidelines and tribology standards.

Slip and Fall Prevention by Steven Di Pilla, though probably written primarily for professionals in the field of safety and risk management, can be invaluable to anyone who owns or manages physical assets.

It seems to me that Mr. Di Pilla has dealt with every possible manifestation of the subject. I was particularly impressed with his advice regarding claim mitigation. This handbook belongs on practically everyone's bookshelf.

The book was written at the end of the dot com era, perhaps as a reaction against the intense high-tech stress undergone by many people. It is now 5 years later, but the text is still relevant. After all, while the dot com era is now clearly seen as overly inflated, the technology did not go away after the crash. In fact, it has continued to improve, and no doubt the stress levels are still present for many people.

So the book's advice about maintaining a balance between your professional and social lives is very germane. It is also worth keeping in mind, when, and not if, another cycle of high technology frenzy spins up.

It was great finding a book that offered helpful suggestions in a very readable style to the problem of staying in touch without getting overwelmed by our high-tech world. Best of all was the insightful nature of the book. The distinction between balance and congruence was so important. The authors recognized the reality of human spirituality and the blows it can suffer in our wired world. A fine book for anyone who has caught the wave of techno-communication but still wants to stay sane.

The frantic pace of our world is overwhelming. Technology is able to keep us connected 24/7 and many of us have allowed it to invade every minute of our lives. No wonder we experience personal systems overload! This book really delivers what is implied in its title Dot Calm. We are all seeking to balance our work, home, family, community....you name it. Dinnocenzo and Swegan have done their research and offer practical advice on how to discover and reconnect with what is important. We can choose a better way and this book guides us in that process. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to reclaim their life.

Just as Ms Dinnocenzo introduced me to sanity and organization trying to be a telecommter in a wired world in her 101 Tips for Telecommuters, I realized a missing piece. And I found it in Dot.Calm. She explained problems that I could not put into words. But the best part of the book was her and Rick's four specific solutions for dealing with technology when you must be able to communicate with others you don't see. She addresses the real human problems in this techno world. Now I feel like a survivor who can communicate successfully and make money doing so!

I can not count the number of products and services that have come my way heralded with much hype and false promises of their value to the user. That's been especially true of self-help guides. You know the ones that promise you'll be a changed person, if only you buy the book and implement its recommendations. Well, at long last one of those books delivered on the promise. The foreword states that "you'll find these pages to be filled with practical, how-to advice .... step-by-step formulas for finding ...and keeping balance in your life." As a poster child for the insanity of the wired world, I really did not know how to break out of the strangle hold it had on my life. It became easier and easier to rationalize absolutely crazy behaviors related to my out- of- balance existence. The authors of Dot Calm were surely writing about me or so it seemed. I expect many of its readers will feel the same identification with the analysis of being over-connected, over-worked,over-scheduled, over-informed and ultimately OVERWHELMED. It's a book you'll read in one sitting and then reread many times as you take back control over your life. Thanks to the authors for delivering on their promise.

If your company hasn't already tapped you to be involved in its environmental management effort, your reaction to the mention of ISO 14001 may range from dismissal (What's it got to do with me?) to dispassionate interest (I guess it's a good idea, but my plate's already full.). Gabriele Crognale explains in simple terms why many companies have embraced the concept of environmental management -- and why today's managers need to be aware of what's happening in this field. The book identifies opportunities, management practices, methodologies, and innovative strategies that organizations can implement to improve their environmental management performance. The logic is that if organizations display a strong commitment to sound environmental practices, they can defuse the traditional "command and control" enforcement applied by regulatory agencies. In a total quality organization, sound environmental practices are a shared commitment that makes good business sense. This book explains the issues and provides solid, hands-on guidance for helping your organization as it takes the next step in improving environmental quality.

Many environmental management books in print today, and even some books on the new wave of sustainability, lack the depth and detail that the author provides in his book. His choices of co-authors are a good blend to the mix and depict practical insight into their operations and how they address environmental management and sustainability issues. Practical insight can be gleaned from such diverse companies and industries as HP, Gilette, IBM, ST Microelectronics, Chevron and Texaco, and how each of them addresses environmental management issues as well as how they applied their lessons learned to improve.

Of note, one local university uses excerpts of the book in one of its environmental maangement classes, and was impressed with how specific chapters lend themsleves well to these classes, here in 2007.

Very interesting! A must-read for an environmentalist

This book offers a unique look into the issues and responsibilities that environmental professionals in companies face on a daily basis. The Editor used finesse in weaving the case studies of other environmental professionals into a smooth flowing book where each new chapter complements the previous chapter. So what you get is good reading instead of dry, dull technical reading. The Editor also includes extensive additional material in the endnotes, references, etc., brings rich value to this book as a suitable reference source for all readers, whether students like me, or professionals in the workplace. It's VERY conservatively priced for what you get, and is easy to read. I enjoyed the book for what it offers, and I recommend it to you.

Environmental Management Strategies, The 21st Century Perspective, Volume 5 is an asset to any environmental managers' bookshelf. It is very readable while being stuffed with applicable information pertaining to environmental management. It offers a good picture of recent business trends that incorporate environmental practices that often go beyond straightforward compliance. The book also illustrates the possible benefits of companies applying forward thinking regarding environmental management using case studies of successful companies. In addition practical information pertaining to OSHA, EH&S, and EPA requirements are included.

Beginning in 1986, I started my career in safety and health management. Beyond the "basic industrial safety classes" being taught at the time, a few innovative and creative individuals were looking at safety and health management in ways beyond making "physical and engineering changes" (a technique that had dominated safety program management since its inception). In 1995, Values-Based Safety Process emerged as a go-to reference for me. It is a wonderful and enduring book!

One of the chapters that I go back to regularly outlines a clear strategy for sustaining the safety management and culture process. Terry's book has endured as a benchmark in our consulting practice and approach to safety management today. I highly endorse and recommend his book, and believe it has helped immensely in the prevention of injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

Steve Thompson, President
Aspen Risk Management Group [...]
Coauthor, Workplace Safety: A Guide for Small and Midsized Companies

Dr. Terry McSween has written "The Values-Based Safety Process" what many have described as the "most practical book on how to actually implement behavioral-based safety and troubleshoot organizational and system problems within an organization". This book is an essential working reference for every executive, manager, supervisor and safety professional responsible for for helping protect employees, the environment, and property. A very positive review of the book was published in the July 2001 issue of Professional Safety.

This book can help you get a proper perspective of how Behavior-based safety can be an additional element (but not a replacement for) a fundamentally sound total loss control program to protect people, the environment and property.

Larry Bailey, CSP

This is a great, great book. Having studied safety culture management for many years, this is the best book I have seen on the subject. A practical, meat and potato's guide to establishing a successful, high-performance safety culture, with a proven method that absolutely works. McSween holds your hand and takes you right down the road where you need to go with a clear, understandable writing style that starts at the basics and takes you all the way through how to celebrate your success. The second edition has lots of case studies and a great section on safety leadership. Buy this book! Also, read some great safety articles at McSween's website "Quality Safety Edge".

I have worked in this field for several years and observed Fortune 500 companies in every phase of implementing behavior-based safety into their organizations. I have witnessed first hand all of the major consulting companies installing BBS initiatives using the books of other authors in this field. I can unequivocally recommend Dr. McSween's book as the most successful and practical.

Above all, Dr. McSween has used his 20 years of hand-on safety consulting experience to design a behavior-based safety process that incorporates employees into the design and implementation of the process - and thereby creates all the necessary elements of acceptance and long range success. Unlike other BBS methodologies, Dr. McSweens process allows employee design teams to integrate BBS into the existing safety culture in a mannner that ensures its strengths will be sustained and effective.

Dr. McSween has used his clients feedback and his experience to design a process that minimizes administrative busy work and time off the job, yet includes the powerful tools and activites that BBS brings to the safety management process. Above all, Dr. McSween is a professional widely known for his integrity and client dedication - traits that are reflected in the honesty and practicality of his book.

After many years in the BBS business as an employee of Dr. McSweens competitors, I can truthfully say that Dr. McSween's book and his process are the most successful and that Dr. McSween is the best BBS consultant practicing in America today.

I reviewed this book along with four others by other BBS consultant authors and I find this to be the best. Terry McSween has written a very usable book complete with forms, checklists. and essential elements necessary for doing your own process, if you are intending to anyway. I also found the section on safety incentives to be very helpful and neccessary. One is likely to do a poor BBS implementation unless they address the important organizational interface between the popular but controversial safety rewards programs and a new BBS effort. McSween's appreciation for manufacturing organizational cultures seems to me to be on the mark.

During the past ten years I have worked with a nunber of methodologies in the area of Root cause analysis. During this time I have seen none as effective and cost efficient as the PROACT methodologies showcased in this book.

Bob has written a classic RCA manual for all people in all industries. I personally have used both the methodology and software to great effect and would recommend them to anyone.

If you are serious about a reliability growth program in your site, then you need this book!

This book gives you the tools to develop a strong reliability program. In my 35 years as a mechanical engineer (P.E.) in the chemical industry, I have seen several "programs" come and go. Reliability, when proactive as taught by RCI, is the one program that consistently documents very large savings to cost ratios. In order to survive in the 21st century, industry must have a strong reliability program. RCI is a pioneer (since the 1950's) in reliability and in particular teaching and training industry in using this valuable tool.

Closing the gap between the goals companies set and their actual situations is the overall focus of this book. Written by two experienced executives from the Reliability Center, Inc., the book helps readers identify, resolve, and eliminate the chronic plant floor issues, such as repeated equipment or system failures, that hinder the attainment of organizational goals.

Specialists in root cause analysis methodology, the authors discuss the roles of management and a root cause analysis team in prioritizing the problems to analyze, automationg the process, and helping to uncover the physical, human, and latent causes of undesirable workplace events. They point out that the gap between goals and reality that exists in virtually every industry leads to undesirable outcomes, failures, and incidents that siphon profits from the corporate coffers. To close the gap, they explain, companies must reinvent the way they work, understanding why errors occur and how to prevent them.

The book explains root cause analysis, which is a structured process designed to uncover the cause of any undesirable workplace event. The PROACT steps outlined in the book teach companies how to preserve event data, order the analysis team, analyze the data using logic trees, communicate findings and recommendations, and track for bottom-line results.

Case studies are used to illustrate the potential of root cause analysis, showing its effectiveness in particular in steelmaking, customer service, and manufacturing. Software for automating root cause analysis is also discussed. Informative, well-illustrated and well-organized text is worthwhile reading for any plant engineer seeking to understand why errors occur and to eliminate them, and have a direct positive impact on his company's bottom line.

I have now been involved with RCA for several years and it's the way to go in the future. This book is a good example of what Root Cause Analysis is all about. The book focuses on the use of the PROACT system and I imagine would they would work very well together. I am looking at trying PROACT as well, not just yet! Good book easy to read and gives good definitions to those foggy terms. I enjoyed the book and I use it for my job which speaks for it's self, it doesn't hide in a cupboard or on a shelf. I get the feeling this book is one of the better ones in the bunch, not just someone who has jumped on the RCA bandwagon because it's a flavour of the month.

I co-ordinate a root cause troubleshooting clinic at a major engine manufacturer. We have had moderate success with our investigations and have developed several powerful methodologies. This book has taken our procedures one large step further with a coherent, effective method to analyse and document a problem to root cause. The combination of system diagram, logic tree and verification log described in the book is exactly the kind of methodology we needed and is proving very useful. The book is well written and is filled with useful guidelines for such required activities as information gathering and selection of the most productive analyses to perform. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in root cause analysis.

Many workplaces seem quite safe. There are no open mine-shafts to fall into, no baths of sulfuric acid to spill, no explosives lying about ready to be ignited. And yet, according to professional safety consultants Dan Hopwood and Steve Thompson, every workplace needs a detailed, current and well-documented program to protect the health and safety of employees. While the hazards have changed, the risk of injury remains. Rather than spiraling down a mine-shaft, a worker might get a repetitive stress injury. Rather than spilling acid in the doughnuts, a worker might pull a muscle lifting a heavy box. Rather than dropping a cigarette onto some dynamite, a worker might inhale an irritant that causes a chronic lung condition. In each case, the results can include missed work, disrupted lives, insurance claims that increase your premiums and fines for regulatory violations. This brief book will help you avoid all that, whether you are just starting your safety program or re-engineering it. Many checklists and useful appendices nicely complement the text. We feel safe recommending this sensible guide.

Steve and Dan have written a concise book that outlines step-by-step what all new safety professionals need to know in order to create a positive safety culture within their organizations. The Appendix, References and Resources sections are the best I have ever seen. For any person given the responsibility of safety management and who want to "save lives, prevent injuries and illnesses and protect their companies from financial harm", this is the place to begin. Thank you Steve and Dan for this contribution to protect our workforce, and help to ensure that everyone has a chance to go home safe each night to their families.

Dan and Steve successfully put together not just a well-written book loaded with many outstanding hints and ideas, they also included so many practical tools that the small to medium sized business can begin using immediately to improve workplace safety. It should be a "must read" for any business if they are really serious about this often overlooked issue. If just some of the ideas suggested by Dan and Steve are implemented, it can have a dramatic impact not only on employee safety and morale, but bottom-line profits as well. Thanks Dan and Steve !!

Finally . . . a user-friendly, efficient, and effective risk managment and loss control tool for everyday business. Workplace Safety will actuall save lives, prevent injuries and illnesses, and help every reader to avoid the financial hardship and administrative nightmare associated with any injury. Thank you Steve and Dan for bringing safety out of the classroom and putting it on the front line where it belongs.

Steve and Dan have written a book that is a "must have" for those looking for a comprehensive but easy to follow resource around which to build an effective workplace safety program. It provides the perfect mix of well-thought-out strategy and practical tools to address illness and injury in the workplace. It is an easy read but it has the depth necessary to make a difference. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in creating a safe working environment.

I bought this book as a step in investigating fires and arson steps of investigation in writing a novel. It does have a lot of good information, but it's very generalized--not specific. Good for the amateur fire sleuth that wants to get enought information to be able to 'talk the language.'

The best fire investigation reference book on the market today. Thanks John.
Mark Howell
AIC-Fire
Denton, Texas

If you are a fire cause and origin investigator, you need this book! If you don't use it, you can bet an attorney will use it against you in civil or criminal proceedings. This book should be right next to your NFPA 921. DeHahn writes in a pragmatic and easy to understand format. I understand that the 6th ed. is getting ready for relase so you might wait a couple of weeks and get the latest. Bravo Dr. DeHaan, you've done it again!

The best book I know about fire; I like it for the strict scientific and pragmatic approach and the lot of practical hints, useful for a fire operator but also for a fire student.
Reading it, I understood a lot of things I watched in my 20 years of firefighting, and it changed my perception of fire behaviour and my understanding of a post-fire scene analysis.
A great help, and this edition is a lot better than the previous I had, the 3°.

Written in an understandable, practical manner, this book makes a difficult subject comprehensible by even the unscientifically minded.
The author writes clearly and the book is very readable. The text is accompanied by great photographs & illustrations.
What a relief to find this book after attempting to plow through some of the other texts on this subject. Highly recommended!

Easy transaction, book in condition it was described and received it on time...would buy from seller again.

When someone reviews statistical information about human factors in air accidents, it is very easy to find that under the label "human factors" there are many different and heterogeneous things.

The real way to know what is the importance of human factors is an in-depth analysis of many accidents without accepting the generic "human factors" as an explanation. That is exactly what authors make with several accidents explaining beyond NTSB analysis why crew behaved in a way that, finally, drove to an accident.

The book shows a model of analysis and that is very useful for investigators or air safety experts in general. However, the application of that kind of analysis to many other accidents -all of them, if possible, instead of a few ones- should be extremely useful not only to avoid new accidents but to design new planes, new SOPs and new training models.

The conclusion we could extract is as follows: At this moment, we are not extracting all the possible knowledge from an accident. The book explains how to go further.

It reads like a thesis but is full of great analyses beyond the "official" accident reports. Most aircraft accidents are attributed to "pilot error." Here, the authors dissect the human factors in several accidents and delve into human fallibilities and technical traps which make us all prone to error.

The authors have applied insights from cognitive psychology to nineteen flight-crew-related accidents. In place of the dry narratives of accident reports, we are presented with compelling three-dimensional accounts in which pilots are routinely faced with time pressure, the need to make judgments under uncertainty, and rare but potentially lethal system failures. In examining each accident, the authors attempt to reconstruct the mindset of the pilots, and place the actions of the crew in the context of the flow of events. In contrast to other reviews of accidents, the authors avoid the phrase "the pilots should have...". Instead we are gently encouraged to understand how skilled and professional operators can come to make mistakes in circumstances that are unforgiving of error.

Through the lens of cognitive psychology, the aviation industry becomes a massive human performance laboratory, in which hapless operators are faced with situations and problems produced not by experimenters, but by the complexities of the system of which they are a part. The authors take pains to counter the common presumption that catastrophic accidents must somehow result from extreme acts of villainy or incompetence. In this book, we repeatedly see how accidents often arise from combinations of everyday problems and situations.

By the end of the book, some fascinating patterns begin to emerge. A surprising number of the accidents involved apparently simple slips and lapses. Additionally, the majority of accidents occurred on approach and landing, and most of the accident flights were running late. The failure to go-around from an un-stabilized approach is a common theme in the accident scenarios.

On a minor note, a few more illustrations and diagrams would have added some variety to the text, and more extensive quotations from cockpit voice recordings may have helped. Overall however, the book provides a useful compendium of case studies that will be of value to industry and academia. Airline training personnel in particular will find much that is useful in this book.

Out of approximately 10 million air carrier flights annually in the US, only about 50 involve a major accident. That may not sound like much, but those accidents consist of events like these: a Continental Airlines flight that landed without its landing gear deployed in Houston; an American Airlines flight that suffered loss of control at 16000 ft.; and another American Airlines flight that hit some trees while attempting to land, the culmination of a series of small, individually insignificant errors. These are some of the examples scrutinized in detail, drawn from a large population of accidents in which human error was a major factor. This book makes fascinating reading - providing pilots and aviation professionals with a new perspective on crew error, and the general public with a new way of looking at the whole aviation system and how safety issues are considered.

The authors dissect these accidents in a way that the airline industry has not attempted in great depth before. Rather than stopping at the facts and a conclusion of "crew error", they ask why highly skilled flight crews, with thousands of hours of flying experience, make mistakes and erroneous judgments with horrifying consequences. The common reaction after an accident is that the crew was not sufficiently skilled, otherwise they would not have made the error. The authors start with a different assumption: they assume that the crew was as good as any other crew that could have been chosen, and from that starting point, their illuminating analyses lead them to consider some very interesting psychological and operational factors that underlie these accidents.

To do this, the authors draw on their expertise on how the human brain works (memory systems and decision-making apparatus) and their complementary expertise on aviation and operations. The authors are all affiliated with NASA; two of the them are research psychologists, one of them was a major investigator with the primary transportation investigative arm of the government, the National Transportation & Safety Board, and all of them have extensive experience with aviation safety.

The book covers 19 accidents, devoting a chapter to each. Two additional chapters at the end provide statistics and a summary of the common themes and factors the authors uncover as contributing to these accidents, along with some prescription of possible countermeasures. When an airplane is involved in an accident, the National Transportation & Safety Board performs thorough investigations - these include interviews with the survivors, forensic evidence, the data from the black box, etc. The investigators produce a report that lays out the facts and their judgment of the causes of the accident.

The studies in this book take these reports as a starting point, and go down paths that the NTSB never ventures (their charter does not permit that). Each of the accident chapters is constructed to provide first a factual recount of the event and the NTSB conclusions. From here the authors identify the most significant events leading up to the accident, and for each event in turn, provide an analysis that mixes operational knowledge with cognitive functioning.

This is not a Michael Crichton thriller, but those familiar with aviation will easily be able to follow the details as they are stated in factual, non-judgmental manner, and will see into the deep causes of the events that led up to the final accident. Readers who are already familiar with aviation terminology will find the book easy to read (do you know what "LOFT" and "windshear" mean?). At the end, the very helpful glossary covers both aviation and cognitive psychology terms so that readers of all levels of industry expertise or interest can enjoy this useful study.