Book cover of Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Book description

'Gripping' ED CAESAR * 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER * 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD * 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES * 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH * 'We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES

** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **
** WINNER OF THE…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Challenger as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

You may know the story of the O-rings and the fatal launch of January 1986 and still be shocked by all the near-misses that preceded that catastrophe. Higginbotham reminds us of the inherent dangers of space travel, exploring the boundary between courage and recklessness.

I love this book because it is a great read about a preventable disaster in space and a great account of what to do and what to not do if you want to be a small “L” leader. The early years of the space program saw great examples of small “L” leadership; in the years around the Challenger disaster, NASA was a thoroughly bureaucratic hierarchy where people in authority wielded power to control and coerce other people.

It is a gripping tale in which this legacy paradigm of power contributed to the deaths of seven astronauts. I am passionate about…

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