history of science

I need to confess that I gave up reading this book.  I thought it was because my science knowledge was so abysmal and this theory was bolstered by numerous reviewers praising Kean for his accessible writing.  But I kept having these niggling thoughts that it wasn't all my fault.  And in my defense I do like science writing.  Each year I devour The Best American Science Writing.  This series gets me excited about science which is what science books for the lay person should do.  Kean was just too disjointed for me. Maybe the periodic table of the elements is too much for me but I would have

The title says it all. At some point in time, all of us have made a list: things to do, grocery, or books to read.  Some of us have a love-hate relationship with checklists, but most of us see the importance of then and they are used all over the world.  Gawande argues that checklists have two main purposes: to create efficiency, and accuracy.  In a world of great and increasing complexity, a simple checklist can reduce human fallibility, the medical field being the most obvious example.  Grievous errors could be eliminated by checklists adopted in hospitals everywhere, helping doctors and