In my ample spare time, I enjoy reading accident reports. I am too genteel to settle for the newspaper/TV abbreviated summary abstract excerpt, if a detailed technical report is also available. For major disasters, book-length technical reports are sometimes issued. These serve not just to explain how some system failed, but also introduce technically minded non-specialists to the area. Some examples:
- Deepwater Horizon – BP report
- Space Shuttle Columbia disintegration
- Sinking of the BC Ferry Queen of the North
- 9/11 commission report
Do you have any other favorites?