Throughout history we have seen great business and political leaders soar to the top of their field before falling on their own sword due to a number of seemingly obvious bad decisions. Herbert Hoover became president of the USA after WW1 after gaining popularity as a great businessman and successful secretary of state. However the great depression put him off his stride and a series of bad economic decisions saw his downfall.

Next take An Wang, the Chinese American inventor behind (among other things) the technology that made magnetic core memory possible. Wang empire grew from strength to strength throughout the 50's, 60's and 70's before grinding to a halt after wang failed to see the value of the personal computer. IBM had entered the market with a cost effective machine that made Wang's machines look out of date.

 So, what happened? This book looks into the psychology and science behind decision making and identifies some useful strategies and tools for safeguarding your position. A must for anyone in a position of leadership or for those just wanting reassurance that we are all human! The book was discussed on radio 2GB with Brian Wilshire and can be downloaded as a podcast here.