It's human nature to either pin blame on someone for accidents or generally, for ills that befall us or, at some point after the initial grief, to reconcile with it as that ‘destined to happen.

For me, Nippin's book is helpful as a way to process events in life and made me question some of my basic assumptions. The book will have maximum impact when its philosophy is absorbed by people, within organizations and industry cultures, and forces us to think beyond blame. Only then can organizations become learning cultures; research shows that learning organizations are more adaptable and successful than others.

Nippin’s interview with Captain Francesco Schettino of the ill-fated Costa Concordia and the reflections from that personal interaction provide many of the insights for the book, but you’ll also be kept engaged with more personal and other well-known stories. Takeaways from this book will be accepting that humans are fallible, and from here, approach risks more pragmatically. Using this approach is also likely to make you feel less frustrated at work with accidents and approach safety with a more sustainable strategy.

Nippin is a licensed master mariner. He holds a PhD in social sciences and anthropology and a master’s degree in economics and social psychology. Nippin studies mythology, religion, anthropology, spirituality, neurosciences, depth psychology, linguistics, and semiotics to broaden his understanding of the human ‘being’. His unique experience and skill sets make him the ideal person to tell this story and propose this radical new way of thinking.

Finally, besides being intelligent, the book also needs to be engaging. Are We Learning from Accidents? is not a boring academic book. The book is written in a personal sense, so you relate to the author's journey, and very readable. Buy it- you'll need to re-read the book now and then. Finally, the readership of this book doesn’t have to be limited to professionals who investigate accidents. Any layperson with a curious mind will enjoy it.

I interviewed Nippin about this book on my podcast, and you can find the link here.