The Checklist Manifesto Review

Perhaps you've seen advertisements for The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. That's what led me to the book, anyway. My husband recently called me a "living, breathing to-do list," so I thought that this book was right up my alley.

The book is actually not about how to create a dynamo everyday to-do list. It's more about how to develop a checklist for complex situations involving life-or-death scenarios. For example, the author is a surgeon and worked with a team to create a checklist for the WHO to distribute to hospitals to improve surgery results around the world. Gawande also interviewed airplane pilots (notorious for their use of checklists), skyscraper builders, and financial analysts to see how checklists benefit these industries.

While my normal tasks are not complex enough to warrant the use of these types of checklists, I did think that the concept was simple, but profound. After implementing the checklists at hospitals, the WHO noted a reduction in complications and patient deaths! I liked that the checklists increase communication. You'd be amazed how many surgery teams don't even know each other's names. You'd also be amazed at the things that surgeons (and others) forget when they rely solely on their memory. I recommend that anyone who performs complicated tasks read this book and develop checklists.

First thing on my checklist:

• Forgive my husband for such a thoughtless accusation!