Why, after every major accident and blunder, do we look back and ask, how could we have been so blind ? Why do some people see what others don't? And how can we change ? Drawing on studies by psychologists and neuroscientists, and from interviews with business leaders , whistleblowers and white collar criminals , distinguished businesswoman and writer Margaret Heffernan examines the phenomenon of wilful blindness , exploring the reasons that individuals and groups are blind to impending personal tragedies, corporate collapses, engineering failures - even crimes against humanity. We turn a blind eye in order to feel safe, to avoid conflict, to reduce anxiety and to protect prestige . It makes us feel good at first, with consequences we don't see. But greater understanding leads to solutions, and Heffernan shows how - by challenging our biases, encouraging debate, discouraging conformity, and not backing away from difficult or complicated problems - we can be more mindful of what's going on around us and be proactive instead of reactive. 'Entertaining and compellingly argued ' Sunday Times 'A tour de force of brilliant insights' Philip Zimbardo 'Heffernan presents a readable analysis of the way powerful and intelligent people deliberately set aside crucial facts and turn a blind eye to fatal errors and frauds. A polemic against the dangers of docility and "groupthink" in every walk of life , it was another finalist for Business Book of the Year' - Books of the Year, Financial Times ' Writing in clear, flowing prose , Heffernan draws on psychological and neurological studies and interviews with executives, whistleblowers and white-collar criminals' - New York Times 'An engaging read, packed with cautionary tales .Heffernan shows why we close our eyes to facts that threaten our families, our livelihood, and our self-image - and, even better, she points the way out of the darkness' --Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind.