Awards
![Staff Top 5s 2013](http://www.powells.com/images/icon-tops-2013.jpg) |
2013 Powell's Staff Top 5s
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Staff Pick
When, not if. It has been over 300 years since the Pacific Northwest last endured a megaquake (in 1700, the region was struck by a temblor considerably more powerful than the one that devastated San Francisco in 1906). With the Cascadia subduction zone (stretching from northern California into British Columbia) (over)due for a magnitude 9 quake or greater, big cities and small towns up and down the Pacific coast are facing a catastrophic threat of nearly inconceivable proportions.
"The 'big one' in the Pacific Northwest has the potential to be the mostly costly and destructive disaster in the history of the United States, both in terms of loss of life and economic damage. The long-term economic impact could alter our entire economy," said James Lee Witt, former director of FEMA.
Sandi Doughton's Full Rip 9.0 is an enlightening (if not, at times, horrifying) look at the seismological threat facing the Northwest. Cities like Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland will likely suffer epic and unparalleled destruction when the shaking begins, while coastal destination towns (including Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Newport) face obliteration altogether when the inevitable tsunamis follow not long after. With casualties expected to reach into the tens of thousands, it will likely dwarf the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Full Rip 9.0 is rich in both history and science, offering an accessible, well-researched look into the looming threat of a Pacific Northwest megaquake. Sandi Doughton, a science reporter for The Seattle Times, provides background on the region's geology, the scientists instrumental in uncovering previous seismological activity, and the woefully unprepared state of local governments, businesses, schools, and individuals to anticipate and mitigate the impending danger. Fascinating, frightening, and even a touch infuriating (given the unpardonable inattention of public officials), Doughton's important book is lively and well written.
When, not if. Recommended By Jeremy G., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Scientists have identified Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver as the urban centers of what will be the biggest earthquake, also called a mega-quake, in the continental United States. A quake will happen — in fact it's actually overdue. The Cascadia subduction zone is 750 miles long, running along the Pacific coast from Northern California up to southern British Columbia. In this fascinating book, The Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are. With a 100% chance of a mega-quake hitting the Pacific Northwest, this fascinating book reports on the scientists who are trying to understand when, where, and just how big THE BIG ONE will be.
About the Author
Sandi Doughton received her undergraduate degree — majors in biology and journalism, minor in chemistry — from the University of New Mexico and did graduate studies in biology and chemistry at Texas A&M University. Her first science writing job was for the Los Alamos Monitor, a small daily where she covered Los Alamos National Laboratory and its programs in nuclear weapons, Star Wars anti-ballistic missile systems, laser fusion, and basic physics. Doughton has also worked at newspapers in Santa Fe, NM, and Tacoma, WA, where she covered the environment, health, and medicine. Doughton currently writes about science for The Seattle Times.