by Gillian Tett
First published 1778
Organizational barriers create blind spots that make intelligent people act foolishly. Gillian Tett draws on her anthropology training and financial journalism experience to examine why departments within companies often work against each other rather than together. She investigates eight cases spanning diverse institutions like Bloomberg's New York City Hall, the Bank of England, Cleveland Clinic, UBS bank, Facebook, Sony, BlueMountain hedge fund, and Chicago police. Some stories reveal catastrophic failures caused by departmental isolation. Others demonstrate how breaking down these barriers unleashes creativity and prevents disasters. Tett connects her reporting on the 2008 financial crisis to broader patterns of institutional blindness. Her analysis reveals how office design, team leadership, and organizational thinking either reinforce dangerous silos or help people see beyond their narrow expertise. The book offers practical insights for anyone working within large organizations or trying to understand why collective intelligence sometimes fails so spectacularly.
Genres: social-science, business, non-fiction, organizational-culture
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: case-studies, investigative-journalism
Setting: Bloomberg, Bank of England, Cleveland Clinic, UBS, Facebook, Sony, BlueMountain, Chicago
Period: 2008 Financial Crisis
384 pages · Paperback · Little, Brown Book Group