This review highlights the toxic corporate culture and ignored critical design flaws that led to the Challenger tragedy, portraying the book as a sobering reminder of how human and organizational failures can culminate in disaster.
The reviewer reflects on the emotional impact of the Challenger disaster and appreciates how Higginbotham’s narrative dispels any comforting illusions by detailing the sequence of events and decisions that led to the fatal launch. They emphasize the author’s skill in tracing NASA’s history from earlier tragedies through to the Challenger, illustrating the shift from heroic space exploration to political and budgetary compromises. The book is seen as a powerful study of how organizational dysfunction and ignored warnings contributed to the loss of seven lives.
Quick quotes
What Higginbotham traces through his book is what can happen when a corporate culture turns toxic and dysfunctional.
We realized we were watching seven human beings come to a sudden end to their high aspirations.
Adam Higginbotham didn’t allow me to engage that magical thinking.