When Technology Fails

{{Short description|1994 collection of 103 case studies edited by Neil Schlager}}

{{Infobox book

| name = When Technology Fails

| image = When Technology Fails.jpg

| caption =

| author = Neil Y. Schlager (ed.)

| country = United States

| language = English

| subject = Reference

| publisher = Gale Research

| pub_date = January 1994

| pages = 659

| isbn = 978-0-8103-8908-3

| oclc = 29315606

| dewey = 363.1 W574

}}

When Technology Fails, edited by Neil Schlager, is a collection of 103 case studies about significant technological disasters, accidents, and failures of the 20th century.{{cite book|title=Minding the Machines: Preventing Technological Disasters|last1=Evan|first1=William M.|last2=Manion|first2=Mark|isbn=0-13-065646-1|year=2002|publisher=Prentice Hall PTR|location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey|page=203}} It was published in 1994 by Gale Research, Inc. It was one of the top referenced books in the New York Public Library in 1995.{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Melinda|newspaper=Buffalo News|location=Buffalo, NY|date=November 5, 1995|title=Stranger Than Fiction: The Libraries' Tops in Reference|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BN&p_theme=bn&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF98E2DDC999D0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=2011-04-14}} {{subscription required}} The book was updated and re-released in 2005.

The book consists of 1,000- to 1,500-word entries, arranged by subject, that discuss the background, timeline, and impact of each event.Accari, Joe. Book Review. Library Journal, Northeastern Illinois University Library, Chicago, Illinois. 1994. [http://www.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780810389083/LJREVIEW.HTML&client=newportp]. Accessed 2011-04-14. Each entry is written by journalists, engineers, and researchers, and provides a cursory overview, rather than in-depth technological analysis."Choice," American Library Association. Book Review. [http://readon.sg/det_6859750.aspx] Accessed 2011-04-14. Entries are supplemented by bibliographies, black-and-white photographs, charts, and other print media.Book Review. Booklist, American Library Association. [http://www.booklistonline.com/]. Accessed 2011-04-14.