Denial

This book, devoted to the denial of reality and the catastrophes that this generates, consists almost exclusively of extremely detailed case studies. Each of the seven chapters covers an example of failure following denial, taken from the annals of U.S. business, extending from Ford in the twenties to the Internet bubble. Three other examples describe opposite situations emblematic of the courage to face the truth, namely, DuPont, Intel, and Johnson & Johnson with the Tylenol crisis. A closing chapter suggests eight lessons to keep in mind, which particularly underline the importance of creating the conditions to ensure that the bearers of bad news are heard.
Those in a hurry may find it a bit tedious to undertake a detailed reading of all of these examples, merely to be led to seemingly obvious conclusions. In this case, we advise starting with chapter two, which introduces the basic theory after offering up the Ford example as an appetizer in chapter one, then moving on directly to the concluding chapter. As the spirit moves, deeper study of two or three further examples may give more concrete substance to a threat that people often consider to concern everyone but themselves.