The New York Times bestselling author of Being Mortal and Complications reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies—neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force, checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mind-boggling sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of surgery, a simple ninety-second variant has cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third. In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater, to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. And he follows the checklist revolution into fields well beyond medicine, from homeland security to investment banking, skyscraper construction, and businesses of all kinds. An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one simple idea makes a tremendous difference, The Checklist Manifesto is essential reading for anyone working to get things right.
Download and start listening now!
"This was surprisingly entertaining, and I am now looking for ways in which using checklists might improve my life. I would have liked to have seen more examples of effective checklists (the lists themselves, not descriptions of them) so that I'd have a better idea of how to write them. " — Nicole (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was surprisingly entertaining, and I am now looking for ways in which using checklists might improve my life. I would have liked to have seen more examples of effective checklists (the lists themselves, not descriptions of them) so that I'd have a better idea of how to write them. "
“John Bedford Lloyd meticulously narrates Gawande's results on the use of checklists: staggering reductions in infections, deaths, and other negative outcomes. In a documentary-style delivery, Lloyd methodically describes how various companies and their managers are now incorporating checklists into their daily operations, despite some organizational resistance.
Is it really possible that a low-tech-actually no-tech-simple list can change and influence outcomes in our high-tech, super-complex world? The answer is a resounding YES! And in his latest book, The Checklist Manifesto, straightforwardly narrated by John Bedford Lloyd, Atul Gawande-one of those wonderfully multitalented men who is a surgeon, New Yorker staff writer and MacArthur Fellow-explains why and how a "stupid little list" can help even the most highly skilled and trained avoid failure and achieve consistent success.
John Bedford Lloyd meticulously narrates Gawande's results on the use of checklists: staggering reductions in infections, deaths, and other negative outcomes. In a documentary-style delivery, Lloyd methodically describes how various companies and their managers are now incorporating checklists into their daily operations, despite some organizational resistance.
" Such a simple idea, but so powerful to minimize future mistakes. "
" Terrific book. I suppose his agent and editor must have read it; can't help wishing they had reformed the publishing industry in light of the insights offered. "
" A fantastic example of how such a simple tool such as a checklist can be used to improve how effectively things get done using examples in aviation, construction and in surgery. "
" not as good as his other books, but still worth reading "
" I love that my favorite books of the last few years all came from watching the authors on The Daily Show! "
" i read this book after it was recommended by captain sullenberger. wow. "
" Would have been better for me as an article rather than a 200 page book - thought a lot of the bulk was repetitive/fluff. Found the parts about medicine more effective than efforts to apply checklist advocacy in other professions. "
Atul Gawande is author of three bestselling books: Complications, a finalist for the National Book Award; Better, selected by Amazon.com as one of the ten best books of 2007; and The Checklist Manifesto. His latest book is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. He is also a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a staff writer for the New Yorker, and a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He has won the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, a MacArthur Fellowship, and two National Magazine Awards. In his work in public health, he is executive director of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and chairman of Lifebox, a nonprofit organization making surgery safer globally. He and his wife have three children and live in Newton, Massachusetts.
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.