Gawande’s book describes how using a checklist can reduce and eliminate many errors in complex jobs by making priorities clear, helping people remember specific critical steps that can easily be forgotten in the midst of complexity, and preventing communication breakdowns. Using examples from surgery, foreign intelligence, construction, aviation, rock concerts, software design, and other areas, Gawande shows how the right checklist improves outcomes by catching the “mental flaws inherent in all of us—flaws of memory and attention and thoroughness.” Here’s how to effectively use a checklist