The Checklist Manifesto

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, 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. 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 deadly kind of infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. For product teams managing complex launches and processes, checklists provide a simple but powerful tool.