Checklist Manifesto The (R/J) Paperback – 1 January 2014

The author writes about how an effective checklist can save lives, solve problems. Checklists can be used in several areas including surgery, business, and personal life. Taking referrals from how a 3-year-old child, drowned in an icy pond in Austria, with her heart-stopping for almost 2 & half hours, to how the 1935 Flying Fortress (Boeing model 299) airplane crash was solved & going into the construction industry & others - checklist proves to be an effective method of solving & overcoming errors which may turn fatal & catastrophic. The author also talks about the type of checklists and how effective checklists are to be made. A compelling read, Atul Gawande is a Surgeon & writes very well keeping us absorbed in his writing style. A must read.

I am not a big fan of self-help books, but I made an exception for “The Checklist Manifesto” for a couple of reasons: (1) I consider one of Gawande's later books, “Being Mortal,” the best non-fiction book I have ever read, and (2) I expected interesting anecdotes about the history of checklists, written in Gawande’s breezy, engaging style. While well-written and easy to read, this book is no "Being Mortal." Although it encourages readers to use checklists more consciously in their daily lives, it discusses a subject that most of us intuitively understand and does not seem very insightful or groundbreaking.Gawande's logic is sound and compelling. He argues that the increase in available knowledge has both saved and burdened us. The instances of fallibility due to ignorance have been overtaken by those due to the complexity of modern systems and processes. Checklists, he suggests, are the straightforward solution to prevent mistakes that arise from this complexity.The book is quite short at about 190 pages in the Kindle version, making it a quick and accessible read. Gawande covers the use of checklists in various industries such as aviation, construction, investments (an industry I am somewhat familiar with, and his examples seemed somewhat manufactured and less convincing), music, and restaurants. However, most of his narrative focuses on hospitals and the medical field, making it somewhat repetitive despite its short length.Despite its shortcomings, the book is probably worth a read, especially given its brevity. As Gawande points out, using a checklist can often feel beneath us and even embarrassing, but this book might make you rethink that notion and appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of checklists in achieving efficiency and preventing errors.A fun fact to highlight (according to Gawande): when airlines merge, one of the fiercest battles is between pilots over whose checklist will be adopted and used going forward. This underscores the importance and impact of checklists in critical operations.Pros: Gawande’s typical breezy and engaging style, brevity making it a quick readCons: Lack of significant insights or new revelations, somewhat repetitive narrative

A simple yet profound impact on your understanding about the importance of checklist, is but in a very well written book

Great read

This book is about the importance of checklists, and not just in the field of aviation or medicine, this can be imported into any field of work and with the right usage can help a lot!Quite an information heavy book, could have been narrated in a little bit interesting way as well.Do give it a read if you want to understand how to make your checklist better, and also have an interest in aviation or medicine.

THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO – How to get things right – Atul GawandeIt is a difficult proposition classifying Dr Atul Gawande, the Boston based surgeon who writes really profound books into any genre. Is he a doctor writing on medicine or is he a philosopher discussing issues of life and death or do his books fall into the now popular category called ‘self-help’ or can one think out of the box and refer to him as a Management Educator. I think he is all of them.My introduction to Dr Gawande’s writings was thru ‘Being Mortal’ which I rated 6/5 last year and also listed it as the best book that I read in 2014. I followed this up with one of his earlier books ‘Complications’ which also was thoroughly readable and insightful.CHECKLIST MANIFESTO is one of his earlier books. While the world was simple and not overwhelmed with as much of science and technology, it was easy to do things…simple straightforward steps…mastered over a period of time…and the masters did it right. Unfortunately the world did not stay that way….from simple…it went into complex…..with multiple rules / algorithms / procedures….so how do you ensure that everything is done the way it should be done…so that nothing gets missed out…and we get results right ?Burrowing thru his experience as a Surgeon and also from real life examples, Dr Gawande finally comes to the conclusion that ‘check lists’ is the best way of ensuring that everything is done the right way…when multiple work together and any complex job almost becomes an orchestra playing a symphony….if you want to get all the notes right…..let us be clear who does what, when before we embark onto a complex job…whether it is removing a tumor from a patient’s brain or serving customers in a Michelin starred restaurant. While the stories from the world of medicine come naturally to him, what is really admirable is Dr Gawande picking up real life stories from industries as diverse as haute cuisine and aviation. His description of the miraculous landing of a packed to capacity jet liner into Hudson without any casualty is riveting.As I said earlier this is not medicine or philosophy or self-help or management education. It is all of them rolled into one…and an eminently readable book. The deftness of his writing is like a surgeon’s scalpel.One of the best books that I have read in the last 6 months.

I have always used checklists but that its implementation in the medical field has saved so many lives is mind blowing. All Doctors, healthcare givers, hospital owners and administrators should read and implement

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