Bellwether by Connie Willis

Bellwether is an entertaining little book. A researcher employed by a giant corporation is beset by an incompetent mail room clerk. The clerk's incompetence is amazingly annoying, how is it she is still working there? It's like an episode of The Office. But that's just a side plot. The main point is how scientific breakthroughs are more often the result of accident than the planned result of a scientific project. The author's explorations of this idea is what makes the story interesting.

And where did this word, Bellwether come from? Meriam-Webster tells us:

Origin of BELLWETHER

Middle English, leading sheep of a flock, leader, from belle bell + wether; from the practice of belling the leader of a flock.
First Known Use: 13th century

Update March 2016 replaced missing picture.