Synopses & Reviews
Contrary to popular belief, humans have almost no control over Mother Nature. Yet we persist in building centers of civilization in places of past disasters. When they are destroyed again, we rebuild in the same place, believing that our technology will do better next time. But we rarely win these battles with the earth. Susan W. Kieffer has two goals for her unique book. The first is to show how the dynamics--the workings--of disasters are connected by a small number of natural laws. The second is to show how the greatest damage and loss of life are caused by unrecognized aspects of these events. For example, the heartwrenching destruction in Haiti was caused when an earthquake transformed the solid ground into something like quicksand. Only by deeply understanding the dynamics of natural disasters can we begin to institute engineering and policy practices to minimize their impact on our lives.
Review
"Fast-moving, interesting... Imparts a range of knowledge of the risks of natural hazards in a relatively painless way that educates but also entertains." Donald Turcotte
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"A clear, engagingly wonky introduction to the field." Science
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"A study on natural disasters [that] puts fizz into the physics." Publishers Weekly
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"Kieffer's brisk and lucid presentation has some of the relish with which surgeons reputedly regale each other with tales from the operating theatre. Laid out before the reader are the suppurating wounds, scalds, tremors, and scars acquired by the Earth over millennia, centuries, decades, or minutes." Nature
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"Photos enhance the drama of this highly accessible look at disasters." Nature
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"Geologist Kieffer analyzes recent earthquakes and eruptions with a clear eye on improving our planning for, and response to, these inevitable events." BookProfessor.com
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"If you are an amateur weather geek, disaster wonk or budding student of the earth sciences, you will want to read this book." Discover Magazine
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"[T]he clarity of Kieffer's writing, coupled with her careful choice of supporting graphics, makes the content engaging and accessible to a wide readership." Seattle Times
Synopsis
Natural disasters bedevil our planet, and each appears to be a unique event. Leading geologist Susan W. Kieffer shows how all disasters are connected.
Synopsis
Humans persist in building centers of civilization in places of past disasters. We believe that our technology will protect us next time. Yet we rarely win these battles with the earth because we don’t understand natural disasters deeply enough. Susan W. Kieffer has two goals for her unique book. The first is to show how the dynamics—the workings—of disasters are connected by a small number of natural laws. The second is to show that the most obvious process in a disaster is not always the one that causes the devastation. For instance, the transformation of apparently solid ground into a substance like quicksand during the 2010 Haiti earthquake is what caused the destruction of Port au Prince. Kieffer argues that only by truly understanding the dynamics of natural disasters can we begin to institute engineering and policy practices to minimize their impact on our lives.
Synopsis
In 2011, there were fourteen natural calamities that each destroyed over a billion dollars' worth of property in the United States alone. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast and major earthquakes struck in Italy, the Philippines, Iran, and Afghanistan. In the first half of 2013, the awful drumbeat continued--a monster supertornado struck Moore, Oklahoma; a powerful earthquake shook Sichuan, China; a cyclone ravaged Queensland, Australia; massive floods inundated Jakarta, Indonesia; and the largest wildfire ever engulfed a large part of Colorado.
About the Author
Susan W. Kieffer is a professor emerita of geology at the University of Illinois and a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant. She is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Kieffer hosts a popular blog called Geology in Motion. She lives on Whidbey Island, Washington.