Sara West's blog

The afternoon auction ended. The leftovers, old horses, were packed tightly into a trailer for the final trip of their lives. These horses were the ones no one wanted. The ones destined for the glue factory.

Harry de Leyer, a stable instructor, planned to attend the auction. He wanted to buy a strong, sturdy horse but a flat tire dashed his plans. He arrived late and the only horses left were the rejects sandwiched together in the trailer.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a book called How to Sew A Button by Erin Bried. The book contains a treasure of practical life tips that were common knowledge for many of our grandmothers but are no longer well-known for many today. You'll find simple tips and tricks for baking bread, writing thank-you notes, planting a vegetable garden, and more.

Performing an appendectomy, flying a 747, and building a skyscraper are deeply complex tasks that require specialists and the proper tools. Despite the deep knowledge and high-tech tools needed to get the job done safely, complications arise. What is one of the easiest ways to prevent accidents and keep such complex tasks running smoothly? It isn't more training and better equipment, according to surgeon Atul Gawande. It is something simple and often overlooked - the humble checklist.