What are the cognitive mechanisms that cause individuals to commit common, everyday errors and mental lapses? James Reason and Klara Mycielska examine the intersection of human fallibility and cognitive architecture. By analyzing the patterns of absent-mindedness, the authors provide a framework for understanding how routine actions fail when attention shifts or automatic processes are interrupted.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding human error in both cognitive psychology and ergonomics. Readers frequently note the clarity of the prose despite the technical nature of the subject matter.