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Debbie's eloquence, yet straightforward manner allows each of us to see our human side through the eyes of the Divine. By engaging in the contents of this book I learned to embrace the gifts of the masks I have chosen to wear in life and fully integrate them creating a life more fulfilled and alive. I was also awakened to the idea of balance in how we react/interact with the world. Through my understanding of the need to temper my guardedness with vulnerability I have been able to receive and embrace love more fully in my life.

If you're ready to begin your transformation OR add dimension to the journey you are currently on, I promise this book will carry you down your path.

Thank you, Debbie, for having the courage to answer your call from the Divine so others may benefit and live a more extraordinary life!

Everyone should read this book!!!Espcially BEFORE they do those bad things we seemed destined to do.

Debbie Ford has written this book in a way that everyone can understand it and also could find some relation to his or her personal thoughts or life experiences.
As the technology and living standarts evolves ,human exposure to uncertainties increases .Basic securities we thought we had will be taken from us over night.Like in recent financial crises lot of people lost jobs and homes.
Living in advanced competative society feeds our fears for failure makes us face more into our inner thoughts.These thoughts can be good and guide us to find solutions or push us into deeper depression.Examples used in this book are quite realistic could make anyone think about human behaviour.
I think ,it is a good book to read and you do not need a degree in psychology to understand it .

For anyone willing to work on being the best person they can be, this is an "text" book. You will want to read it, ponder, journal about your thoughts, question yourself, and re-read it. I've read it once, and re-read specific chapters to really get the message that relates to me, where I am and as I am in my life right now. Very eye opening. I can already feel a shift in my motivation, my thoughts and ultimately, my interactions with others.

First, I am a big fan of Debbie Ford and have written rave reviews of her other books. So I was eager to read this one. While I liked much of the content, and find the theme fascinating, I couldn't help feeling the author was squeezing 3 or 4 books' worth of ideas one medium sized book.

First, what's the topic? I would differentiate between "good people who do bad things" and "people who feel shame because they think they've done something bad." And...

P 49: "Our feelings of shame are the source of all forms of self-sabotage and self-punishment."

P 56 "Underneath every destructive act we will find a toxic buildup of one or more unexpressed emotions."

I'd like to see references to research or the author's experience for the discussion of toxic emotions. For example:

P 60: "Rather than providing a healthy outlet for our emotions, these [prescribed] medications merely allow it to build up unnoticed until some self-sabotaging incident triggers its release."

I believe this statement is true but I would want to see a source cited, or else a comment like "After coaching thousands of clients, I've come to believe..."

I've also been told that some depression is created by physiological conditions. And I've read research suggesting that emotional states can be learned or can reflect cultural interpretations.

The talented designer story (pp. 74-75) puzzled me. Either "Michelle B" was hopelessly naïve or she was in a stage of clinical detachment from reality. Indeed most of the examples reflect extreme behavior rather than more ordinary examples, such as saying just the wrong thing when you're about to advance in your career.

The discussion of masks could be a whole separate book. On p 100, Ford writes that her life was changed by recognizing her "basic nature as that of prey" instead of predator. How was her life changed? She briefly notes that she could recognize the real predators but I would like to hear more.

There's a lot of good material here. Recognizing that strong feelings about others will give clues to your own masks is an especially powerful insight that deserves more space. I'd like to know much more about recognizing a mask and poking behind the mask. Because Ford allocates just a few sentences for the challenges (i.e.,issues about changing) for each mask, this section comes across as simplistic and even shallow.

For example, the bully's challenge is "finding acceptance for their weaknes" and "embracing their vulnerability." Easier said than done! Quiet snake does not seem to be a mask: I would think the mask of "harmless person" hides the "quiet snake."

While I've known some depressives, I'm not sure they wear a mask. They don't seem to hide hurt, rejection and helplessness - frankly, they seem to flaunt those qualities. People have revealed their anti-depressant prescriptions five minutes after meeting me...and they're not clients, just acquaintances.

How do we distinguish a character trait or lifestyle preference from a mask? For example, in his book Solitude, British psychiatrist Anthony Storr argues that some people are more work-oriented and less relationship oriented. They're not neurotic, just different from the standard model. So is "loner" a mask, a choice or a personal quality that's neither good nor bad? The answer seems to be, "In depends..." but I'd like to see that spelled out.

Readers should chuckle on p. 136 when Ford lists potential addictions of loners. Fans of the Sex and the City series will immediately remember Charlotte's episode when she got hooked by one of the items mentioned here. I doubt there's a relevant 12-step program available.

Similarly the signposts are covered too lightly. Do we really recognize these signposts in ourselves, particularly intolerance and self-absorption? Should we really encourage people to let themselves be vulnerable before they've learned how to create and/or identify a safe space?

I know the author has far more knowledge than we see here and I hope she revisits these themes in a future book, perhaps giving a whole substantial chapter to each mask and writing another book on signposts. I particularly liked the paragraph on p. 242, where she writes from the heart: Her addiction opened her up to "greater realities." Fear of being called lazy motivates her drive for work. This could have been another theme: instead of burying our darkest selves, empower them and use them as leverage to reach the goals that matter.

Ultimately I would suggest an amendment to the book's premise, which seems to be along the lines of, "Self-destructive behavior originates with shame." I believe people can sabotage their own career success when they're just deeply dissatisfied with their own professional path. I have told clients that, in my experience, if you wait too long to leave a job, you may do something to get yourself fired. It would be a stretch to argue that this behavior comes from shame.

He loves it so far, and I'm enjoying the bits I''m getting to read.

This is a great "sitting by the garden" book. I have learned a lot, and it has reinforced some things I thought I already knew. Lots of great ideas, and I love the organic ways to take care of gardens/pests/etc.

As an avid collector of gardening books, I am proud to add this to my library. It is a fun, quick read with no nonsense everyday tips and remedies for the novice to the experienced gardener. It is easily becoming my first reference when tackling the out-of-doors, and it is small enough to tote around the yard as I work. No more "rummaging thru" pages of information. Everything is at my fingertips. THANK YOU Sharon !!

During the summer of 2006 I purchased "Trowel and Error" since I am an avid gardener and was looking to add another good reference book about gardening to my library. Once I got it home I realized that this book is a quick guide to gardening and would be very useful to beginning gardeners. I recently moved into a brand new neighborhood in Wetumpka Alabama and discovered that most of my new neighbors are novices to gardening and are always asking me gardening questions, so I decided this book is perfect for them as beginners. I purchased a book for all my beginning gardner friends and each of my four daughters. They all love it.

I used her ideas the very next day in both my garden and in the elementary school garden where I volunteer.

The book is easy to read and packed with information. The organization could be improved but that might prevent serendipitous discoveries. It really is worthwhile to read every page--whether you think you need it or not!

I found this to be a very difficult book to read; perhaps because my views are different from those portrayed in the book. I did finish it and passed it on to a friend who said she could not finish the book and decided not to pass it further. Some people may identify with the author, but I was not one of them and neither was my friend.

Deeply moving, thought-provoking, and very moving. This novel has taught me different ways to view myself, as well as my life and my God. Wow...

Gabriel Black was sentenced to life in prison. He has all the time in the world to sit and think about things that the common person just overlooks or takes advantage of. He decided to search for God in prison. Each chapter is titled with what he believes is proof that God excists.

The one thing I loved about this book was how deep thoughts he was. I had to keep underlining stuff in the book that I really liked a lot. Really made you think a lot.

This is one of those books that I wish I wrote.

In THE PAINS OF APRIL, Frank Hollon insinuated himself into the mind of a man many years his senior and expressed thoughts, ideas, feelings and recollections that would seem to me to be collectively accumulated during a lifetime and, therefore, unavailable to a man as young as Hollon when he write his first novel.
In his most recent novel, THE GOD FILE, he has once again placed himself in the mind of a person whose experiences would appear to be profoundly foreign to his own and, once again, he provides a keenly focused, sensitive journey through the mind of Gabriel Black, a prisoner, who has self-imposed a search to chronicle events that reflect the existence of God. Hollon provides many varied thought-provoking instances in which the reader is challenged to consider his/her own views of the existence of God (and other philosophical questions) -- and, indeed they are powerful, substantive situations. I found myself at times absorbed in his descriptions of the inner-workings of the minds of the players; the who, what, when and where of the events, only to be intensely reminded by Gabriel Black at the end of each scenario of the WHY he started his file. This is a wonderful book.

Gabriel Black is the instrument of his own punishment, a young man who has taken the murder of his girlfriend's husband on his own shoulders, accepting the blame for a crime he has not committed. When his girlfriend, the only other witness, makes no effort in his defense, Gabriel is left alone behind prison bars. In this vast wasteland of personal pain and the struggle to account for a misspent life, he begins a lifelong search for deliverance.

Sentenced to life without parole, Black sets himself the task of finding God in the lowest of places, where the dregs of humanity endure endless days of mind-numbing boredom with only their twisted memories for company. Some spend the years reading, learning about a world they barely remember and may never see again, while others escape into monotonous drug-induced sleep or give free reign to the demons that have brought them to this place.

Walking a landscape of despair, Hollon treads familiar territory as his protagonist gathers the contents of the box that will define his life, piece by piece, assimilating The God File. There are soulful letters, mournful essays, remembrances of things past, questions about this terrible struggle, all arranged in a particular order of importance. All attempt to explain the inexplicable, to find a place where belief can coexist with despair.

Gabriel's quest is intensely spiritual; the years he spends gathering this ambiguous evidence are part of his evolution toward the answer he so desperately craves. It would be impossible for Gabriel to find God when he first comes into prison. He hasn't achieved the maturity to save himself, let alone determine the existence of God. Each particle of thought scribbled on a scrap of paper in The God File is necessary to the whole. Gabriel has been baptized Catholic and his journey is littered with the small rituals, pieties and beliefs that are wedged so deep in the soul they almost cease to exist, until they are needed. Then, in the never-quiet, never-quite-dark, they emerge, tiny hopeful prayers, begging for a response. From God.

For Gabriel to find an answer to his question and know peace, he must be willing to endure each step of the agonizing journey. After all the wasted years, all the unspoken entreaties, Gabriel must experience patience. He has nowhere else to go. It is his journey alone and his personal path is intimately marked by the struggles of his individual soul. Yet Gabriel finds the courage to make each fragile leap of faith, to surrender his haunting question: "If God gives me more than I can endure, how can I know?" Gabriel listens to the faint sound in the chambers of his tortured mind, hoping to understand. Perhaps, after all, he will find peace of mind. Luan Gaines/2003.

This incredibly valuable book is characterized by almost reckless honesty in combination with a concern for the welfare of patients that I have encountered nowhere else to date.

If it is read casually, there is much of critical value; if studied carefully, there is even more.

Dr. Levine had earned the gratitude of everyone who reads the book as well as all others because, with his trail blazing book, he has put the medical establishment on notice that they can no longer depend on the code of silence that has for so long protected inadequate and impaired heath care professionals. And it's high time.

I agree with all the reviews here - this is a must read. But after you read it go give it to a friend - it could save their life. As for the one review from the Texas man....probably a criminal doctor or someone who works for the pharmaceutical companies!

Ask the nurses who the good doctors are? Nurses like the doctors that are nice to them. The best doctors aren't always nice.

Go to a Teaching hospital if you can? So a resident can do your procedure and round on you? I think not.

Drug companies are out to rip us all off? Dr. Levine doesn't like drug companies because drugs like statins and ace inhibitors decrease his business.

Asked to be transferred during your care? So a new doctor that hasn't been following you can start all over.

Tell the ER doctor to call your Primary care doctor? So he can get whoever is on call for the group and knows nothing about you. Right. Lots of help.

Really weird stuff to come from an MD.

I can't express how important I believe this book to be. I am a business consultant of more than 30 years. I have read extensively in many areas of business - and in Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Success. I'm not a doctor. I'm not sure there isn't some exaggeration here. But, both Dr. Levine and what he says "feels" right. And, even if it isn't, it is a wonderful checklist of things to watch our for and check against. I plan to purchase additional copies for members of my family. I plan to recommend this book to those who attend my seminars.

I was shocked to learn that drug companies and medical suppliers "court" and "pay" (my quotes) doctors to use their products.

The author explains the process behind the FDA approving a drug and that some doctors have a conflict of interest while taking part in the approval process.

Great book - see his site at http://wwww.brianpowerwaters.com.

I thoroughly enjoyed Margin for Error: None, and I thank you for every chapter. There are a lot of men and women controllers out there that feel the same way I do about people like you. Thanks again. Gary Lashbrock, Miami Tower.

Margin for Error: None outlines his views on the nation's air traffic control system. Included were such chapters as "Danger, FAA at Work" and "Controllers Mate It Work." Baltimore Sun

Captain Power-Waters "tells it like it is" through the use of many examples. Unfortunately, those who should read this book-FAA officials-probably won't. C.W. Glines (author of numerous books on aviation) in Airline Pilot Magazine.

This book was published in 1980, and then again in 2001 but not updated. All material is at least 23 years old.

Read the Innocent Man and thought I could never be moved so much by a book-really a life story. Saw the movie The Exonerated and heard about Kerry's life. I started reading the book for about 2 hrs a few nights ago... Last night I actually read from 9 pm to 3 am and then got up snowy day here) and read from 8 am finishing the book. I felt I couldn't put the book down until this whole ordeal was over-like my not finishing it still had held him in a deplorable state on Death Rown. When he is handed his belongings and the 1.28 check from his Trust Fund I bawled like a baby. I never really thought this was a just world but never really considered how injust men could be. Amazing life story of a man overcoming and rising above horrendous acts of injustice!
A Must Read!

A first-hand account of how and why innocent men and women can spend decades on death row in the United States that should be read and discussed by both pro-death penalty proponents as well as abolitionists.
Kerry Max Cook is a modern Dante/ Job. His story is of one who travels to hell and back, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but who in the end has the strength to emerge as an enlightened, if wounded human being. The tortures he endures after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman he only knew casually are simply inconceivable. Not only does he have to contend with the fear of losing his life on a daily basis, (the fear of execution, and the fear of being stabbed) but he also must survive psychologically the tragic deaths of loved ones in the outside world while he is in prison.
The depth of police and prosecutorial misconduct Kerry describes is nothing less than infuriating, shocking. Yet, the presentation of his case is not intended to be an ideological rant against "the system." Merely by stating the facts, Kerry can convince us of the depth of the flaws.
Besides being an eye-opening account into injustice, Kerry's book is also
told in a way that draws us close to him, a human tale that cuts deeply into our hearts. It is a face-paced read that will keep you turning the pages, one that will haunt you and make you want to live each day of your own freedom to the fullest.

Kerry Cook had a few scrapes with law enforcement as a teenager in a small Texas town - joyriding, kicking out the windows of a store that falsely accused him of armed robbery. Thus, police "knew" they had their man when his fingerprints were found at the scene of a grisly murder.

The abuse of justice started immediately, continued for two decades, and nearly ended with Cook's execution. First it was merely physical - police slamming him into a wall, holding his head underwater in a toilet, arranged beatings by fellow prisoners, refusing showers and clothing, and sleep deprivation to force Kerry to confess. More serious abuses then occurred - withholding evidence from Kerry's attorneys, coaching witnesses to slant/fabricate testimony against Kerry, providing scientifically unfounded testimony that "aged" Kerry's prints to the time of murder, solicited false testimony from fellow inmates that Kerry had confessed - culminating to Kerry's arrival on Death Row in 1978. There Kerry was raped three times, and attempted suicide after each. Then his appeal stalled for eight years, and ultimately was denied.

Finally, things started to go Kerry's way. The prisoner who initially testified Kerry confessed, decided to come clean. An FBI expert provided an affidavit stating that scientific fingerprint "aging" was not possible, information was uncovered that a pathologist had told police that the victim's librarian prior boyfriend had ordered a book describing how she had been mutilated (police ignored, and did not provide to Kerry's defense), the major Dallas newspaper printed a major expose of how Kerry had been railroaded, a foundation funded Kerry's successful re-appeal.

The judge in the retrial, however, prohibited introducing most of this new evidence, the foundation funding Kerry's defense ran out of money (his attorney worked pro bono, but could not afford expert witnesses), and after a mistrial (deadlocked jury) and third trial it was back to Death Row for Kerry.

Fortunately, this conviction was reversed again, and Kerry was offered a "No Contest" plea in exchange for time served. His initial decision was to refuse and go back to trial - however, Kerry accepted the deal after learning that the potential jurors generally thought he had gotten out on a technicality and that they were there to "make it right." Finally, after being freed, results of a DNA test came back, exonerating Kerry and pinning the crime on the librarian originally identified by an eyewitness who had been coerced by prosecutors to change her testimony. Yet, prosecutors continued to contest his exoneration when interviewed.

Kerry, however, is not blameless in this miscarriage. Throughout the trials he lied about how his fingerprints got on the victim's door, instead of simply admitting she had invited him up there. (Kerry claims his father told him not to admit this; however, such an action makes no sense whatsoever.) Finally, while Kerry also should be commended for writing the book himself, continually referring to his parents as "momma" and "daddy" was both infantile and aggravating.

Bottom Line: This book seriously questions the wisdom of the death penalty in America.

I have read the book twice. This is a first hand account of one of the worst cases of injustice in American History. Kerry Max Cook has brilliantly written his own book about life before and after death row and the scars that he still carries with him from the experience. I highly recommend this book to all. I have already bought copies for all my friends.

Kerry Max Cook met young Linda Edwards in 1977 and was invited back to her apartment for a drink, where he left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered, and Cook was immediately arrested for the crime. In one of the worst examples of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history, Kerry Max was put to trial with coached prosecutorial witnesses, bunk expert testimony about the "age" (six to twelve hours) of the fingerprint, and suppressed evidence that would have favored the defense. The state declared that Kerry Max was a repressed homosexual (at a time when homosexuality was a mental illness, and in rural Texas, no less) who raped and butchered a female out of repressed rage - a theory, incredibly, they stuck to even during re-trials two decades later, in the 1990's!

Chasing Justice is the story of the framing of Kerry Max by the Texas justice system. The narrative was written in Kerry's own hand (1,200 pages at first draft) and condensed into a powerfully personal 350-page account of life on death row - desperation, abandonment, rape and sodomy, stabbings, and attempted suicide. The prose isn't depressing; rather, Kerry Max just fights on, always waiting for the next turn, building his cadre of supporters. Texas death row has been ruled in federal court to constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Kerry Max fought for a full two decades for his freedom, through three outrageous trials, with not a penny to his name. While the major Dallas newspaper was decrying the railroading of an innocent man, he was convicted again and again and again. To date, he is still not eligible for reparations from the state of Texas because he has not been officially pardoned, which would require the unanimous concurrence several bureaucratic offices unwilling to admit their culpability in the grave trespass of justice against Kerry Max Cook. (By the way, the state spent $5 - $7 million over two decades in their effort to execute Kerry Max).

The reader will question - why Kerry Max? In his book, the author does not devote his energies to answering why, rather, he uses his energy to fight. From some brief research on the case, I have determined that the real culprit hired a very expensive, well-connected good ol' boy lawyer, requiring the police to find another suspect to satisfy the anger of the community. I can only begin to wonder how the Texas justice system conspired for 20 years to keep an innocent man behind bars. During each of his three trials, judges continually approved motions by the prosecutor and denied those of the defense, even to the point at which the court had contradicted itself on which evidence should be suppressed or allowed and for what reason!

Kerry Max's remarkable story is a damning indictment of the death penalty and the Texas justice system. Right before the publication of his memoir, national crime show Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman featured forensic experts "solving" the Edwards murder based on false evidence from the prosecution. Even 10 years have Kerry Max's exoneration in the national eye, misinformation is still being spread by those in power. Kerry Max Cook's experiences should serve as clear warning not to blindly accept the word of authority.

This is a book we all need. Anyone who writes, speaks or listens can use some help. It is amazing to me how often I hear the wrong word used on the big news channels by their newspersons. I find myself looking up words as sometimes I have found that by hearing the wrong word used over time we come to think it is the right word!

One of those books you'll find yourself reaching for all the time. I am a writer and keep it on top of work material, so I can grab it for a quick look-up. Extremely useful...

"The Wrong Word Dictionary" is a compact, handy reference book that deserves a spot on everyone's bookshelf. It provides simple, straightforward guidance on the proper usage of commonly confused words. Students, professionals or anyone who writes will benefit greatly from this owning this book. Highly recommended.

I own many writing books and Dowling's book is a breath of fresh air because he tackles a tough subject in a very succinct and wide-ranging way. Some of my writing books, though good, go on for too long with overblown explanations and cover not enough ground. I like this book's approach to brevity and comprehensiveness. I also enjoyed the handy size and the humorous cartoons to help explain the differences to some tough word pairs. It's an exceptional compilation, well done, and a book many in the workplace as well as education will enjoy. Being a writer I find this book very helpful.

Let's face it: today's schools are so busy teaching political correctness, they skip over the basics, like fundamental English grammar. Even those who once learned how to parse a complex compound sentence get confused over words like "effect" and "affect." Dave Dowling's "Wrong Word Dictionary" has compiled all these annoying little buggers into a handy, concise manual that should be kept right next to the computer. Look to your laurels, Strunk & White, Dave Dowling has a book on usage that we can really use!

If you want to know the truth about the medical system and the enormous number of errors and cover-ups within that system, read this book. Well-researched with many shocking and heart-breaking case studies, the book provides answers as well as showing the problems. Thank goodness someone had the courage to buck the system and break down the Wall of Silence for all of us.

This is a better book by far than the unfortunately better known INTERNAL BLEEDING. It is certainly more honest. It has the clear advantage of being written by people who know and understand the subject ,and unlike Internal Bleeding, it does not suffer the disadvantage of having been written by physicians who, purposfully or otherwise, seem very intent in obscuring the responsibility for medical mistakes.

The authors of Wall of Silence have written an honest and valuable book deciding (to the public's advantage) to let the chips fall where they may. A MUST READ!!

This book is a well researched, well written must read for all Americans. The authors share their personal story as well as the stories of others who have suffered at the hands of a careless physician. While the stories will break your heart, they may also save your life, or the life of someone you love. While none of us want to believe that those we trust with our bodies and our lives would neglect a sacred trust, the fact is it is happening all too often. This book delivers the message without hype, fear or hysteria. Read it, share it and take it with you.

What separates Wall of Silence by Gibson and Singh from other books on this topic is the refreshing and bold truth telling contained within it's human stories of pain, injustice and frustration. Not only did the authors shoulder the risks and courage requisite for listening to and then writing about the human face, consequences and devastation of needless medical error tragedies, but they also ferreted out and exposed the ugly truths, told by medical providers themselves, about how the pervasive greed, secrecy and code of silence in the healthcare industry works to bury medical mistakes through a host of means; including blackballing and burying the careers of the competent and ethical medical providers who dare to tell the truth and who place patients above profits. As a medical provider, I can find no better way to encapsulate the meaning and hope of this treatise than through those words offered by the Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. This book is, as she states, 'A call to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or die in the pursuit of medical treatment.' And, I can only hope that it could also catalyze a 'Call to Arms' for medical providers who wish to return medicine and healthcare to the patient oriented, compassionate, ethical and hippocratic way of practice.

If even one person dies, that is one too many. But it is not just one, not even 10 or 100 patients who are maimed and dying from health care mistakes. As Gibson and Singh reveal, the numbers are much much higher than that. And anyone of them could be you or your loved ones. Medical errors do not discriminate. Everyone is vulnerable even doctors themselves as patients.

Yes, to error is human but that really doesn't appear to be the problem here. A great deal of the problem appears to be that a percentage of health care providers make multiple errors because no one stops them. According to Grayson and Singh many nurses do not recommend their place of employment to their family and friends.

When people are not held accountable for their actions and the consequences of those actions everyone is endangered. Taking or being forced to take personal responsiblity for your actions and their consequences plays a large part in how many mistakes you make.

I would think it would be every irresponsible health care provider's nightmare to literally have to personally experience everything that they inflict on their patients.

Since health care providers are safe from the magic wishing wand, the next best thing is to guard against such mistakes and be public with the information. It is a matter of ethics. When you are ten and don't want to "rat out" a buddy it is rarely life or death. But health care providers are not ten anymore and it is their ethical obligation to put the safety their patients or potential patients first. Please read this book and tell others about it. All of our lives depend on it.

This product was in perfect shape and I received it in no time! I was very happy with this transaction!

I strongly recommend this book. I read "set phasers on stun" and thought it was very good. The author has done even better this time.

Fascinating stories on human stupidity, negligence, incompetence and lack of common sense that ends up costing people's lives. Anyone involved with Engineering, Sciences or Maintenance needs to read this book. Actually everyone should read this book to understand human failings and why no one should ever take safety for granted. Every day people die needlessly and this book details how and why.
I really commend the author for bringing these stories to print and hope that it may save some lives.

I just finished reading "The Atomic Chef" and found it difficult to put down. I simply couldn't resist finding out what unexpected consequence or turn of events was around the next corner.

This is an absolute must read if you are in any way involved with the development of new products or services. Sometimes things don't go as planned despite everyone's best efforts. Like the bumper sticker says, "stuff" happens. This book gets into the stuff to reveal what really happened. The author painstakingly researches and recounts the real story behind mismatches in people and technology.

If you like fairy tale endings this may not be the book for you. However, if you are interested in learning the true details behind real world events, I highly recommend the Atomic Chef. In contrast to more traditional Human Factors books or case studies, the Atomic Chef presents enjoyable and eminently readable accounts of actual events.

Little things can make a big difference, I'd recommend The Atomic Chef's cautionary tales to any student or professional interested in learning more about the relationship between people and technology.

This anthology of 20 brilliantly written true stories should be of special interest to anyone dealing with technology management or product development, but it also would be enjoyed by any lay reader. As a well-known expert and writer on human factors engineering and human error, Steven Casey has obviously selected these stories because each subtly educates the reader about the role of the user interface in system failure, but also because each is tremendously interesting.

Although each chapter stands solidly on its own, a few stand prominent in my own mind due to personal interests. "Rhymes and Reasons" is a beautifully written story of musician John Denver's fatal flight in a new aircraft. Although an accomplished pilot, Denver's piloting skills were no match for a confusing set of aircraft controls and displays in his just-purchased home-built plane. The story makes the clearest case possible for the importance of good user interface design and ergonomics, and like all the stories in the book this one is thoroughly researched and referenced.

In addition to aviation and aerospace settings, the stories address transportation, maritime, medical, and various everyday events in contemporary life. Particularly poignant is "Event Horizon," a disturbing accident involving a child and an MRI machine in a New York hospital. In hindsight, the reader understands the procedures and barriers that must be in place when dealing with powerful new technologies like this.

Casey throws some truly hilarious stories in the mix to break up the pattern of predictability inherent in a book on error and disaster, and this approach works well. But, overall, be forewarned: the author is skilled at putting the reader in the "pilot's seat" to experience the confusion, shock, and terror that can occur when technology and human behavior conflict. I highly recommended this book.

BLIND SPOTS: WHY SMART PEOPLE DO DUMB THINGS packs in examples, tactics and tips on how to understand the underlying meaning of simple blunders. Psychological probing reveals the underlying nature of jumping to conclusions and failing to think through challenges and issues, documenting exactly how smart people fail and offering scientific research on critical thinking which is actually fun to read, making it a pick for both college-level psychological libraries and general-interest collections.

Heard this author on NPR. The book provides great insight and ideas for overcoming those "blindspots" otherwise known as shortcomings we possess in our character. They can be addressed and dealt with in a positive way. great advice if you are looking to improve yourself.

I breezed through this book like I would do with a novel. The examples Dr. Van Hecke uses are nicely interspersed with "theory" and the theories easy to understand and apply to my and I really do think anyone's life. The book touches upon many aspects of an ordinary person's world so everyone will find some blind spot they have or would like noticed in someone they love or work/interact with. This is a useful, enlightening and at the same time entertaining and accessible book. I would like to see it get the mass attention it deserves.

About: Guide to the mental traps and patterns we all have and how to avoid them.

Pros: quick read, interesting, good examples, chapters flow together well, bibliography

Cons: It seems like it might be tough to break thinking habits.

Grade: B+

If every person in a position of responsibility read this book, perhaps there would be fewer catastrophes! Granted, there are so many things at play in complex situations, a mere human may not be able to change entire outcomes. However, there are so many stupid decisions that contribute to ruin ... and that can be changed. That's why this book is so important.

Van Hecke presents 10 Blind Spots:
1. Not Stopping to Think
2. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
3. Not Noticing
4. Not Seeing Yourself
5. My-side Bias
6. Trapped by Categories
7. Jumping to Conclusions
8. Fuzzy Evidence
9. Missing Hidden Causes
10. Missing the Big Picture

While listing the chapters may seem like the Cliff Notes, it would be a mistake to conclude that the list is the whole story. The author does a complete, substantiated and entertaing job of describing each blind spot and shows how prevalent (sadly) they are. This book is a great way to keep you grounded when the smart people around you are doing dumb things, and, of course, to prevent you from making the same mistakes.