Today I learned of the passing of Dr. Richard I. Cook. As I mentioned in my previous post he is the author of “How Complex Systems Fail” which is, I believe, one of the most important documents on complex systems ever written. If you run any type of system that is in production or is relied upon by people in a significant way, this document should be studied and well understood. It is a seminal work, one that I have read quarterly for the past 8-10 years.

I never know what to say about people passing, but I want to thank Dr. Cook for his work and influence. I owe a great deal of my career to him and his work. He forced me to view systems in a completely different way.

Here is a brilliant talk he gave at Velocity 2012. You should also check out his book Behind Human Error.

My prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.