Reading Now...

I'm not one much for re-reading books, but Diane Vaughan's Challenger Launch Decision keeps calling to me! I first read this book while doing course work in my doctoral program, then re-read parts of it as I was working on my proposal, and now, I've finally ordered it for my Nook...

...and am having a leisurely read...  it's always such a pleasure to be able to read and not experience the pressure of taking notes.

The book is a sociological analysis of the causes that led up to the Challenger explosion in 1986- this was the space shuttle that featured the "Teacher In Space" program under President Reagan. The Challenger explosition shocked us all, as we'd become so used to shuttle launches that they seemed almost routine. A Presidential commission concluded that the explosion was caused by weakness in the O-rings which failed to seal properly due to extreme low cold temperatures. Vaughan's sociological analysis of the organization showed that over time, the organization had become used to anomalies in shuttle equipment which didn't affect the shuttle's overall performance, and that just couldn't be explained. Given NASA's budget cuts through the years, management in the organization made decisions that ultimately affected the quality and the culture of the space program. This book is thought-provoking and still holds lessons for students of organizations...