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Chris Clearfield, András Tilcsik Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Chris Clearfield is a former derivatives trader and founder of System Logic, a consulting firm focused on risk and complexity. András Tilcsik is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, specializing in organizational behavior and complexity.

Known for: Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

Books by Chris Clearfield, András Tilcsik

Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

organization·10 min read

Meltdown explores why complex systems—from financial markets to nuclear power plants—sometimes fail catastrophically. Drawing on research in sociology, psychology, and engineering, the authors explain how small errors can cascade into disasters and how organizations can design for resilience. The book offers practical strategies for leaders to manage complexity and prevent systemic breakdowns.

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Key Insights from Chris Clearfield, András Tilcsik

1

Understanding Complexity and Systemic Fragility

At the heart of system failure lies a paradox. We build complex systems because we want them to perform better — faster trading algorithms, more automated factories, more integrated hospitals. Yet every improvement adds more connections, more interactions, and more uncertainty. Complex systems don’t...

From Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

2

Human Biases: The Weak Link in Strong Systems

Even the best technical designs can crumble under human psychology. In our research, we found that people are surprisingly poor at reasoning within complexity. Cognitive biases — overconfidence, groupthink, confirmation bias — lead us to underestimate risks and overestimate our own control. This is ...

From Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

About Chris Clearfield, András Tilcsik

Chris Clearfield is a former derivatives trader and founder of System Logic, a consulting firm focused on risk and complexity. András Tilcsik is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, specializing in organizational behavior and complexity. Together, they study how sy...

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Chris Clearfield is a former derivatives trader and founder of System Logic, a consulting firm focused on risk and complexity. András Tilcsik is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, specializing in organizational behavior and complexity. Together, they study how systems fail and how to build more resilient organizations.

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Chris Clearfield is a former derivatives trader and founder of System Logic, a consulting firm focused on risk and complexity. András Tilcsik is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, specializing in organizational behavior and complexity.

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