From the award-winning journalist, a gripping behind-the-scenes look at the corporate dysfunction—the ruthless cost-cutting, toxic workplaces, and cutthroat management—that contributed to one of the worst tragedies in modern aviation.
PRAISE FOR FLYING BLIND :
“An authoritative, gripping and finely detailed account that charts the decline of one of the great American companies.”
—The New York Times Book Review
"Written in crisp, controlled anger… It is an indictment not just of one of America’s most celebrated companies, but of an entire era: of politicians believing business knew best, of regulators bending to their will, and of shareholder returns elevated above any consideration for the rest of society, including consumers’ safety—and lives."
—The Financial Times
“Bloomberg reporter Robison debuts with a chilling account of the corporate mismanagement and regulatory failures that led to the crashes two Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes and the deaths of 346 people … A vital and enraging portrait of an avoidable tragedy.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred review)
“Vividly written and meticulously researched, Flying Blind is a story everyone—every consumer, every citizen, every worker in every industry—needs to read. Peter Robison brilliantly places Boeing's deadly downfall within the larger tragedy of an American business culture that gradually has smashed every altar but the one where the bottom line is worshipped.”
—Diana B. Henriques, New York Times bestselling author of The Wizard of Lies and A First-Class Catastrophe
"A disturbing account that will return much-deserved scrutiny both to Boeing and to its regulator."
—Wall Street Journal
“Flying Blind is superb reporting in service of a riveting story. Robison has crafted this tour de force masterfully, showing how modern capitalism’s abandonment of quality in favor of quick bucks literally knocked airplanes out of the sky. As you turn each page in growing disbelief and anger, I guarantee it will keep you reading late into the night.”
—Kurt Eichenwald, New York Times bestselling author of Conspiracy of Fools and The Informant
"The long train of events that led to the tragedies—and the subsequent reputational and financial trashing of one of America’s biggest companies—is expertly dissected in Flying Blind.... A 'bottom-line mindset' prevailed. In rich detail, Mr Robison chronicles the shortcomings of that approach at a firm where safety should be paramount."
—The Economist
“Peter Robison's compelling and richly reported Flying Blind is about so much more than the sad decline of Boeing and the tragic mistakes that led to the 737 Max disaster. It's also the urgent story of how the almighty profit motive supplanted a culture of engineering excellence in boardrooms across America and the avoidable calamity that has impacted all of us as a result.”
—Brad Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Amazon Unbound and The Everything Store
“Robison’s fast-paced account serves as an excellent case study of business mismanagement. It should be read by air travel consumers and professionals alike and will have a broad appeal as a story about the rise and fall of a historic business.”
—Library Journal (Starred review)
“Peter Robison's Flying Blind is the astoundingly well reported and beautifully told story of the downfall of what was once a great American company. Robison, who got to know Boeing in the late 1990s as a beat reporter, watched as the proud engineering culture was decimated by those who cared first and foremost about making money. The details are unique, but what makes this book a must-read is that the story's theme has become all too common.”
—Bethany McLean, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Smartest Guys in the Room
"Flying Blind is a gripping narrative and required reading for anyone who wants to understand how one of America’s mightiest corporations veered so badly off course."
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker staff writer and New York Times bestselling author of Black Edge
“A remarkable look at corporate culture’s impact on consumer safety, Flying Blind is a captivating and unsettling portrait of Boeing and American business… Robison offers a case study in organizational culture and the evolution of corporate America since the 1980s.”
“Corporate malfeasance brings mayhem to the friendly skies in Bloomberg correspondent Robison’s revealing exposé… A damning, highly readable account of a once-great company brought to its knees by bad leadership.”