Richard Cook is a physician, researcher, and educator. He is a co-author of “Operating at the Sharp End: The Complexity of Human Error”, “Adapting to New Technology in the Operating Room”, A Tale of Two Stories: Contrasting Views of Patient Safety, “Gaps in the Continuity of Care and Progress on Patient Safety”, and “‘Going Solid’: A Model of System Dynamics and Consequences for Patient Safety” as well as numerous book chapters and other writings. He is the recipient of the 1999 Peter Kiewit Memorial Award of The Annenberg Foundation and the 2001 McGovern Medal for Medical Writing of the American Medical Writers Association.