Dietrich Dörner is professor of psychology at the University of Bamberg, an authority on cognitive behavior,
and winner of the Leibniz Prize, Germany's highest science award.
Review
"Quick, somebody give Bill Clinton copies of The Logic of Failure. Hand them to CEOs of the Business Week
1000.... Everybody knows that people in authority make dumb mistakes. Dietrich Dörner explains why they do
so."
--Business Week
"Plenty of humor and fascinating anecdotes in a serious yet enjoyable book."
--New Scientist
"Capitalizes on real-life cases, and refined ad hoc experiments.... Lucid, well-balanced, well-supported
and instructive."
--Nature
"One of the best management titles of the year."
--Library Journal
Perseus Books Group Web Site, March, 2000
Summary
Why do we make mistakes? Are there certain errors common to failure, whether in a complex enterprise or daily
life? In this truly indispensable book, Dietrich Dörner identifies what he calls the "logic of failure"-certain
tendencies in our patterns of thought that, while appropriate to an older, simpler world, prove disastrous for
the complex world we live in now. Working with imaginative and often hilarious computer simulations, he analyzes
the roots of catastrophe, showing city planners in the very act of creating gridlock and disaster, or public health
authorities setting the scene for starvation. The Logic of Failure is a compass for intelligent planning and decision-making
that can sharpen the skills of managers, policymakers and everyone involved in the daily challenge of getting from
point A to point B.
