Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #237307 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 338 pages

From Amazon.co.uk
Inviting Disaster, by technology and history writer James R Chiles, is an unusual book: it appeals to the prurient desires that keep us riveted to highway accidents, while knowledgeably discoursing on the often preventable mistakes that caused them. At its heart are the colourful stories behind more than 50 of the most infamous catastrophes that periodically chilled the advance of the industrial age, both those well remembered (the 1986 Challenger explosion, for example) and those now largely forgotten (a 1937 gas explosion at a Texas school that killed 298). But along with lively depictions of these deadly devastations and white-knuckle calamities--the Maine battleship, Apollo 13 and Three Mile Island among them--Chiles offers an informed analysis of the unfortunate chain of events that brought them about. And by grouping like incidents to show how fatal "system fractures" eventually developed through a combination of human error and mechanical malfunction, he also suggests how we might sidestep such tragedies in the future. In so doing he fashions these spectacular accounts of failed planes, trains, ships, bridges, dam s, factories and other conveyances and facilities, into a cautionary tale about the progress we are making to "learn the way of the machine (and) act before an otherwise routine day rises to disaster". --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly
Despite the specter of the Titanic, the oil rig Ocean Ranger was called "unsinkable" until one fateful night in the North Atlantic in 1982. Failing to anticipate that the vessel could list significantly to one side, its builders left open some five-foot-long holes on top of its corner supports, which filled with water during a terrible storm and led to the deaths of all 84 crew members. Chiles treats readers to a laundry list of such disasters from Bhopal to Chernobyl that arose from mistakes, panic or hubris. The result is a parade of dramatic stories about people who are simply unable to think in critical situations: "imagine having to take the most difficult final exam of your life while somebody is lobbing tear-gas grenades at you... when you are also suffering a major migraine headache and violent food poisoning." In some cases, he suggests proactive measures (e.g., when on a plane, note the number the rows to the exit, in case there's a snafu involving blinding smoke). In a book that is much more than a litany of disaster and tips on survival, Chiles also offers fascinating, detailed analyses of "system fractures" chains of events yielding catastrophes. Despite the depressing subject matter, the book is ultimately hopeful, recounting numerous acts of foresight or bravery in the face of bureaucratic opposition that saved many lives. (Aug. 31)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Anyone who's been caught in a traffic jam caused by an accident can attest to what seems to be a universal fascination with disaster. While an engaging topic does not guarantee a good book, this volume on the conflicts between machines and humans is accessible and free of excessive technical jargon. This is not a Luddite's call for a return to the days before complicated technology but a careful examination of various disasters such as Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, the Space Shuttle, and an assortment of industrial and airline accidents and how they might have been prevented. While not all accidents can be avoided, Chiles shows how a large number of them could have been. Chiles contributes regularly to Smithsonian magazine, Audubon, and Air & Space, and the level and style of writing exhibited in these publications is maintained in this text. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. James Olson, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Interesting Reading But Not Technical
If you were expecting to find technical understanding of how best to improve a plant, don't buy this book. If you want a qualitative understanding of why disasters occur, this is the book. For a quantitative, engineer's perspective, refer to "Managing Risk and Reliability of Process Plants," by Mark Tweeddale. I found this book very insightful and easy to read. After reading this book, I was encouraged to go on to more technical text. After reading this book I decided to make it a career goal NOT to be one of the engineers who designed an oil plateform where the controls could be shorted out by sea water with the fill-valves open on failure. Dumb!

A must read!!!
This book was really great. I think its a must read for any engineer. The author highlights disasters throughout the modern era, and points out the attitudes and other factors that have lead to them. The thing that got me the most was his discussion of various space disasters, including challenger, and how engineers need to do more than just "send a memo" when they believe lives are at risk. In any case, I think its a most worthwhile book for anyone who works with technology.

interesting but haphazard
This is a very interesting and quick read. It starts out terrific with a riveting telling of the collapse of the WTC towers, a north sea oil rig, and 3 mile island. But somewhere halfway into the book it starts to get muddled. The stories mix and match and some paragraphs don't make sense no matter how many times you read them. He also begins lecturing on systems failure as much as (or more than) telling stories. This guy knows how to explain things, but I get the feeling the 2nd half of the book was rushed to completion and/or an editor went insane. A strong point is in lots of good examples of near-misses and times when things went right in bad circumstances.
Lots of good stories and lessons here but structured poorly so some parts you have to fight through.