The Principle of the Black Box. Why Mistakes are the Foundation of Our Achievements

In modern society, success is valued above all, while mistakes are often hushed up or perceived too painfully. People either condemn those who made them, including themselves, or attribute failures to chance. British journalist Matthew Syed believes that such an approach hinders learning from failures and improving. In his book, he compares two systems: one where mistakes are hidden, and another where they are thoroughly analyzed. The author shows how different attitudes toward failures affect the development of organizations, the work of professionals, and the lives of ordinary people.

Matthew Syed analyzes the nature of mistakes in various fields – science, law, sports, technology – and explains why people tend to hide failures. He also offers strategies that can help change attitudes toward failures and build a ladder to success out of them.