Product Description
Discover how human beings react to danger–and what makes the difference between life and deathToday, nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims? In her quest to answer these questions, award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley traces human responses to some of recent history’s epic disasters, from the explosion of the Mont Blanc munitions ship in 1917–one of the biggest explosions before the invention of the atomic bomb–to the journeys of the 15,000 people who found their way out of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. To understand the science behind the stories, Ripley turns to leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts. She even has her own brain examined by military researchers and experiences, through realistic simulations, what it might be like to survive a plane crash into the ocean or to escape a raging fire.Ripley comes back with precious wisdom about the surprising humanity of crowds, the elegance of the brain’s fear circuits, and the stunning inadequacy of many of our evolutionary responses. Most unexpectedly, she discovers the brain’s ability to do much, much better–with just a little help.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 79 reviews)

Human responses to disaster--and how we can do better by Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL))

4 Stars
November 15, 2009
The author, Amanda Ripley, reports her reflections on how people respond to disaster--and how they can improve that response. Throughout the book, she refers to a variety of disasters and notes how people responded--whether well or not so well. Her approach (Page ix): "I started to research the stories of survivors from. . .disasters. The overlaps were startling. People in shipwrecks, plane crashes, and floodwaters all seemed to undergo a miraculous metamorphosis. They performed better in some ways and much worse in others. I wanted to know why." She concludes that people can prepared for how they might respond in disasters, and then she tries to provide examples as to how this can happen. Her study leads her to see that there are three phases in every kind of disaster: denial, deliberation, and, finally, the decisive moment. In the process, she also speaks about panic, although she says that rather than panicking, most people (Page xvii) "tend to shut down entirely in disaster. . . ." To understand humans' responses to disaster, she integrates knowledge of the brain's operation into her analysis. Denial? She uses examples from 9/11 at the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina to illustrate aspects of denial. For deliberation? One case study looks at a supper club fire in Beverly Hills. Finally, the decision point. Again, a series of examples are cited to illustrate. The conclusion speaks to the value of thinking about how one might respond to a disaster. One simple example: a security official in the World Trade Center. He lived through the car bomb blast in the early 1990s. Having thought about how people responded to the near-disaster, he began to prepare for the next disaster (which, of course, was 9/11). He worked with employees of the firm for which he worked to get people to know exactly what they had to do at the moment of crisis. When the plane hit the tower, the people with whom he had worked already knew what to do, and there was minimum chaos and minimum injury. A powerful example. . . A volume that reads well and gets one to thinking about how we might respond were there a disaster. A useful addition to the literature, aimed at a more general readership.

Fantastic look into seldom-seen side of disaster by Christopher D. Estes (Silver Spring, MD USA)

5 Stars
November 06, 2009
Ripley is a clear, thoughtful author who can mix surprising little facts (Americans are twice as likely to die by suicide than be murdered) with a deep look at what ISN'T done with the lessons learned from disasters. If there was a list of books that everyone should read (and I might start one) this would be on it.

A MUST READ, EASY READ, PRACTICAL , I GAVE A COPY TO MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AS A MUST READ! by Nora R. Facchiano (Hyattsville, MD)

5 Stars
October 05, 2009
If you did not prepare before you will after reading this book. The author is most knowledgeable and has based her presentation on researched facts. Give this book to your loved ones who don't prepare. I am going to require my Extended School Staff (who don't like to have practice drills) to read this book! Nora Facchiano A teacher/director who believes every word Dr. Amanda Ripley says!

Fascinating read! by Veronica Murphy (Florida)

5 Stars
September 08, 2009
This is a fascinating read! If you are interested in crises and disasters and how people process the situation, check out this book. Ripley does a good job of contacting academics and researchers who know this stuff (Slovic, Mileti). While including anecdotal information from actual survivors, there is also a theoretical rationale for why people act a certain way in a crisis or disaster. It's great for anyone interested in this topic area; also a good read for those who study this for a living.

Think Again by Larry Underwood (Scottsdale, AZ)

4 Stars
September 04, 2009
Amanda Ripley's compelling perspective on the things survivors do to get out of disasters alive, is a fascinating story. It serves as a disturbing reminder than so many poor souls react too slowly, either frozen in panic (rare occurance) or simply misjudging the magnitude of the situation unfolding (all too common occurance). Ripley discusses the typical stages that people enter when faced with an unexpected, life threatening catastrophe. The key seems to be reducing the amount of time spent on the first phase---denial. Yes, it's really happening & it's of urgent importance to take the necessary survival actions to live another day. Reducing the "unthinkable" mind-set to quickly "realizing there's trouble" approach is certainly the key. It's common sense, but that doesn't mean the success rate is going to be anywhere close to 100%. Too many people develop a "herd mentality" and spend too much time milling around, because that's what everybody else seems to be doing. Ripley is reminding us, believe it or not; the sooner one believes the unthinkable is really happening, the longer one can expect to continue their existence; not exactly rocket science, but mental preparation isn't something many people are used to giving enough thought. Let's change that mindset, folks, and perhaps we'll all live just a bit longer.

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