Getting organizations going is one thing, stopping them is another. This book examines how and why organizations become trapped in disastrous decisions. The focal point is Project Taurus, an IT venture commissioned by the London Stock Exchange and supported by numerous City Institutions. Taurus was intended to transform London's antiquated manual share settlement procedures into a state of the art electronic system that would be the envy of the world. The project collapsed after three years of intensive work and investments totalling almost 500 million pounds. This book is an in-depth study of escalation in decision making. It is based on interviews with a number of people who played a key role and presents a readable account of what actually happened. At the same time, it sets the case in the broader literature of decision making.