Natural disasters Books

Book SynopsisDeals with the topic of Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR). This book provides an overview of the subject and looks at the role of governments, NGOs, academics and corporate sectors in community based disaster risk reduction. It examines experiences from Asian and African countries.Table of ContentsList of Contributors. About the Editor. Brief introduction of the series. Brief introduction of the volume. Preface. Chapter 1 Overview of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 2 Government Roles in Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 3 Role of NGOs in Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 4 Universities and Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 5 Corporate Community Interface: New Approaches in Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 6 Bangladesh Experiences of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 7 Community-Based Risk Reduction Approaches in Urban India. Chapter 8 Civil Society Organization and Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia: Role of Women, Youth, and Faith-Based Groups. Chapter 9 Partnership Between City Government and Community-Based Disaster Prevention Organizations in Kobe, Japan. Chapter 10 Reaching the Unreachable: Myanmar Experiences of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 11 Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Experience of the Philippines. Chapter 12 Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Timor-Leste. Chapter 13 Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Vietnam. Chapter 14 Profile of Community-Based Disaster Risk Management in Central America. Chapter 15 Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Guatemala. Chapter 16 Elements for a Sustainable Community Early Warning System in Cartago City, Costa Rica. Chapter 17 African Experiences in Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Chapter 18 Experience of Community-Based Adaptation in Burkina Faso. Chapter 19 Malawi Social Action Fund and its Effectiveness in Drought Risk Reduction. Chapter 20 Future Perspectives of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. Community, environment and disaster risk Management. Copyright page.

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Book SynopsisKatie has been writing non-fiction children's books for almost half her life and loves questioning the world from a child's point of view. She's developed some of Usborne's bestselling series, including the See Inside books and Lift-the-flap Questions & Answers. When she's not writing, she likes drinking coffee, walking on the moors and playing competitive board games with her children.Table of Contents1 What's the weather like today?2 Where does weather come from?3 World climates4 Water and clouds5 Sun and air6 Wild winds7 Icy extremes8 Changing climates

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Book SynopsisA speculative glimpse at the numerous possibilities of how the world will end and what happens when it does, written by VICE journalist Mike PearlTrade ReviewBrilliantly anxiety affirming...Thanks to Mike Pearl, I can now claim my constant feeling of dread is based on expert interviews and careful scientific research. * Zach Weinersmith, coauthor of Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything *A deeply entertaining-if occasionally horrifying-imagining of a world where the unlikely has become the reality. * Joshua Piven, author of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook *The Day It Finally Happens got my brain buzzing with stories that bring together fantasy and reality. The well-researched speculations induce daydreams and nightmares and mark Mike Pearl as one of his generation's most interesting writers. * Alec Ross, New York Times bestselling author of The Industries of the Future *In his fascinating book The Day It Finally Happens journalist Mike Pearl, who admits almost gleefully that he suffers from generalized anxiety disorder and extended stretches of panic, imagines the future and is shocked by what he foresees. Think Woody Allen meets Alvin Toffler. Just as Toffler's Future Shock set a standard for crystal ball gazing decades ago, Pearl's mighty oak of a book gives us a sobering, and at times humorous, assessment of what's on today's horizon. When you present a litany of dire statistics, as Pearl often does, it's wise to preserve a sense of humor. Pearl has that in abundance. He's a funny guy, but with a serious side. I came away from The Day It Finally Happens bubbling with new information, and hopeful-but not certain-of a better future. * Charles Panati, author of Panati’s Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody *The Day It Finally Happens is unlike anything I've ever read. It's a bit like losing yourself in a thrumming kaleidoscope of our favorite hypothetical futures, which range from looming hellscapes to our most durable dreams-but you'll be surprisingly well-informed when you finally come to in the present. Sharp, comic, blunt, and justifiably anxious, Pearl is the ideal tour guide to what lies ahead. You'll probably find yourself, as I did, flipping to the next scenario, and the next, long past any sane hour of the night. Pearl's investigations into the worlds of tomorrow are never anything less than engrossing. * Brian Merchant, bestselling author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone *Alternately reassuring and hair-raising, The Day It Finally Happens uncovers surprising answers to all those 'What if?' questions that keep us up at night. It's like peering through a crack in time at what lies ahead and feeling yourself unable to take your eyes away. Trust Mike Pearl to be your intrepid guide to the future. * David Feldman, author of Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? and Why Do Fish Sleep? *I was floored by the detail in this survey of looming doom. Whether you intend to survive the cataclysm or merely drown passively in a tsunami of fire you should be versed in every one of these scenarios. Remember to keep a small bag packed! * John Roderick, host of the Omnibus Project Podcast, an apocalypse primer *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________Chika Jeune came into Mitch Albom''s life by chance. Growing up in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake, at three years old she tragically lost her mother and was brought to the orphanage run by Mitch and his wife, Janine. Chika made a quick impression. Brave and self-assured, she delighted those around her. But everything changed when Chika was diagnosed with a terminal disease that no doctor in Haiti could treat. This discovery sparked a two-year, around-the-world journey in search of a cure. As Chika''s boundless optimism and humour taught Mitch the joys of caring for a child, he learned that a relationship built on love can never be lost.__________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FINDING CHIKA''A powerful, emotional story'Trade ReviewUplifting . . . Although Finding Chika makes for heart-wrenching reading, it is also a tale of resilience and decency - and the memorable cheerfulness of a dying child * Independent *Heartrending . . . A touching rumination on the magic of children, the extraordinary lengths parents will go for them and the unlikely family that came together across continents * Mail Online *Mitch Albom breaks hearts with his story * Mirror *A heartbreaking story of love, grief and what it really means to be a family * Daily Express *A beautiful, heart-breaking, heart-warming read * My Weekly *

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Book SynopsisWhat does Japan's 2011 nuclear accident have in common with the 2005 flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina? This thought-provoking book presents a compelling account of recent and historical disasters, both natural and human-caused, drawing out common themes and providing a holistic understanding of hazards, disasters and mitigation, for anyone interested in this important and topical subject. Based on his on-the-ground experience with several major recent disasters, Timothy H. Dixon explores the science, politics and economics behind a variety of disasters and environmental issues, arguing that many of the worst effects are avoidable. He describes examples of planning and safety failures, provides forecasts of future disasters and proposes solutions for hazard mitigation. The book shows how billions of dollars and countless lives could be saved by adopting longer-term thinking for infrastructure planning and building, and argues that better communication is vital in reducing Trade Review'In Curbing Catastrophe, Timothy H. Dixon, a leading natural hazard scientist, gives a clear, calm, and thoughtful discussion of natural hazards facing societies around the world. The book nicely explains the science of hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal flooding, and other effects of global warming. It looks at specific cases, and generalizes them to make sensible suggestions of how to reduce the risk they pose to people and property. Dixon draws on his personal experiences and research results to make an easily readable and insightful book. Anyone interested in natural hazard science and policy will enjoy reading the book - and will gain new insights, even on topics with which they are familiar.' Seth Stein, President of the American Geophysical Union Natural Hazards Focus Group, William Deering Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Institute for Policy Studies Associate, Northwestern University, Illinois'Timothy H. Dixon provides a cogent and practical presentation of the risks we face with both natural and human-contributed disasters that kill, harm and cost us, especially if we do nothing. The takeaway message is: if you love this Earth and want to continue to rely on it, get to know it better and learn what we can do to protect ourselves from future calamities. Dixon explains in understandable fashion how the Earth works geologically; how, historically, we have taken the easy and convenient path to occupy it; and why we are so unprepared for its physical upheavals. Most significantly he provides solutions that make sense for now and for the future. The Earth will never stand still; should we not learn to work with it instead of against it? Our resistance to accommodating physical reality is our own self-destructing problem. Dixon helps us see this without shaming, and provides solutions that can help ourselves and our progeny.' John Hofmeister, Former President of Shell Oil Company and Founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy'This book covers risk theory, the basics of natural disasters, uncertainty, and vulnerability of humans. Dixon looks specifically at Fukushima and the more general problem of untoward geological events and nuclear power plants, and other aspects of tsunamis … He makes the point, correctly, that for various reasons the increase in price of fossil fuels that would ultimately drive, through market forces, the development of non-fossil fuel sources of electricity and motion is not going to happen for a very long time on its own. Environmentalists who assume there will be a huge increase in fossil fuel costs any time now are almost certainly mistaken. … [the author] makes valid and important points about science communication, time lags and long-term thinking …' Greg Laden , Greg Laden's Blog, Science Blogs (www.scienceblogs.com)'This book was written more for the general reader than the specialist. As such, it is a most useful book … [Dixon's] practical experience supplements his scientific knowledge in demonstrating how better communication about pending threats could have greatly mitigated the dire consequences of natural disasters …[the] book proceeds methodically, structured as a primer, and with due scientific detachment. He is demonstrating, not lecturing. He begins by defining long-term risks and their real-world impacts (e.g., on markets), sets out the practical implications of the differences between natural and man-made disasters, underlines the role scientific uncertainty plays … Th[e] concluding chapter is packed with practical solutions (helpfully summarized on pages 268-69), aimed at demonstrating to the recalcitrant how it would be to their interests in the here-and-now to heed expert advice … As an examination of our own problems at home and their solutions through better communication, this book is the model.' G. T. Dempsey, GeoLounge (www.geolounge.com)'Dixon covers a wide range of natural (and a few man-made) hazards with recent examples of major disasters as the vehicle to provide context and consequences. The examples are carefully chosen to allow Dixon to explore how societal behaviour did or can make the hazards catastrophic … I see this book serving several important roles. First … it is a recommended read for most geoscientists, and others who have an interest in how the Earth works on human timescales. Second … as a thought provoking read for graduate students, helping them develop a good understanding of the broader impacts of their science. The combination of rigorous science, intriguing perspective, and societal relevance make Curbing Catastrophe a valued addition to the literature of natural hazards.' Kevin P. Furlong, International Geology ReviewTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Black and white swans, evolution, and markets; 2. What is a natural disaster? Where do they occur, and why? Are they different from human-made disasters?; 3. If we know so much about natural disasters, why are we so vulnerable?; 4. Japanese earthquakes and nuclear power plant failures; 5. Future earthquake disasters in Seattle and Istanbul; 6. Nuclear power, coal, and tuna: the concept of relative risk; 7. Past and future coastal flooding: Galveston, New Orleans, Bangladesh, and the specter of sea level rise; 8. What's all the fuss about global warming?; 9. Solutions; References and further reading; Index; Online appendices: Appendix 1. Additional background material and exercises for students; Appendix 2. Colour figures.

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Book SynopsisEvery year, droughts, floods, and fires impact hundreds of millions of people and cause massive economic losses. Climate change is making these catastrophes more dangerous. Now. Not in the future: NOW. This book describes how and why climate change is already fomenting dire consequences, and will certainly make climate disasters worse in the near future. Chris C. Funk combines the latest science with compelling stories, providing a timely, accessible, and beautifully-written synopsis of this critical topic. The book describes our unique and fragile Earth system, and the negative impacts humans are having on our support systems. It then examines recent disasters, including heat waves, extreme precipitation, hurricanes, fires, El Niños and La Niñas, and their human consequences. By clearly describing the dangerous impacts that are already occurring, Funk provides a clarion call for social change, yet also conveys the beauty and wonder of our planet, and hope for our collective future.Trade Review'Chris Funk's Drought, Flood, Fire uses a compelling mix of storytelling and fact-finding to communicate the very real impacts we are now feeling from climate change-fueled weather extremes. Read this book to understand the problem and learn how we can solve it.' Michael Mann, author of The New Climate War and The Madhouse Effect'What a nifty book! We have a beautiful planet - and we're not taking care of it. This book shows in compelling detail how we've begun to shake our home apart, and it reminds us of the very human consequences. Climate change is not going to happen someday. It's happening today!' Bill McKibben, author of Falter and The End of Nature'Drawing on his own research in a narrative that's both engaging and sobering, Chris Funk shows us the havoc that human-caused climate change is wreaking on the disparate landscapes and peoples of Africa and the United States - and how we can avert still-worse calamities that otherwise lie ahead.' Robert Henson, author of The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change'Drought, Flood, Fire provides a clarion call for social change, yet also conveys the beauty and wonder of our planet, and hope for our collective future.' James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review'… effectively interweaves deeply personal stories with pertinent data, graphs, tables, and illustrations from around the world … Readers learn how hurricanes and other storms can be magnified by climate change … Funk's assertions and data presentations are backed up by requisite notes and references. Highly recommended.' M. Dickinson, Choice Connect'In essence a how-to manual: a guide, that is, not just to how climate change is exacerbating climate extremes but, perhaps even more vitally, why climate change is, right now, happening so rapidly. Though thoroughly sourced in the scientific literature, with seemingly every factual assertion foot-noted, this is a book aimed at educating those non-specialists amongst us who still need educating to the real-world effects of climate change … This is truly a book by a scientist who understands how to meaningfully inform his non-scientist readers.' G. T. Dempsey, Geography Realm'Drought, Flood, Fire is not only a beautifully structured book, but also an impassioned, moving, and eloquent statement about the urgency mankind faces to come to grips with an impending planetary crisis. The author has successfully managed the challenge of writing a book that is easy to follow by anyone with a high-school education … The tendency in many books and papers of this genre is to include a variety of equations and numerical data. Instead, the author here has chosen to deliver his message with clear easy-to-grasp graphics … Anybody wishing to gain a clear understanding of the global warming problem and its serious implications would do well to read this outstanding introduction to a subject that in recent times has caused so much controversy.' Sven Treitel, The Leading EdgeTable of Contents1. Drought Flood Fire; 2. Welcome to an Awesome Planet: A Series of Delicate Balances Supports Earth's Fragile Flame; 3. The Earth is a Negentropic System or 'the Bright Side of Empty'; 4. Do it Yourself Climate Change Science; 5. 2015-2018 Temperature Extremes: Attribution and Impacts; 6. 2015-2018 Precipitation Extremes: Observations and Impacts; 7. Hurricanes, Cyclones and Typhoons; 8. Conceptual Models of Climate Change and Prediction; 9. Climate Change made the 2015-16 El Nino More Extreme; 10. Bigger La Niñas and the East African Climate Paradox; 11. Fire and Drought in the Western US; 12. Fire and Australia's Black Summer; 13. Driving Towards +4°C on a Dixie Cup Planet; 14. We Can Afford to Wear a White Hat; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book must not be ignored. It really is our final warning.Mark Lynas delivers a vital account of the future of our earth, and our civilisation, if current rates of global warming persist. And it's only looking worse.We are living in a climate emergency. But how much worse could it get? Will civilisation collapse? Are we already past the point of no return? What kind of future can our children expect? Rigorously cataloguing the very latest climate science, Mark Lynas explores the course we have set for Earth over the next century and beyond. Degree by terrifying degree, he charts the likely consequences of global heating and the ensuing climate catastrophe. At one degree the world we are already living in vast wildfires scorch California and Australia, while monster hurricanes devastate coastal cities. At two degrees the Arctic ice cap melts away, and coral reefs disappear from the tropics. At three, the world begins to run out of food, threatening millions with starvation. At fouTrade Review‘Mark Lynas…has time-travelled into our terrifying collective future…Go with him on this breathtaking, beautifully told journey…I promise that you will come back…determined to alter the course of history.’ Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything ‘Scientists predict that global temperatures will rise by between one and six degrees over the course of this century and Mark Lynas paints a chilling, degree-by-degree picture of the devastation likely to ensue unless we act now … a rousing and vivid plea to choose a different future' Daily Mail 'Buy this book for everyone you know: if it makes them join the fight to stop the seemingly inexorable six degrees of warming and mass death, it might just save their lives' New Statesman 'An apocalyptic primer of what to expect as the world heats up…it's sobering stuff and shaming too. Despite its sound scientific background, the book resembles one of those vivid medieval paintings depicting sinners getting their just desserts' Financial Times 'The saga of how, in the world as imagined by thousands of computer-modelling studies, global warming kicks in degree by degree. Six Degrees, I tell you now, is terrifying' Sunday Times ‘Those looking for more clarity would do well to read Our Final Warning by Mark Lynas, a campaigner controversial among his fellow environmentalists for supporting nuclear power and GM crops. This book is the clearest account I have come across of what climate change will look like, depending on what we do about it.’ The Times 'A chilling read’ Socialist Review

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Book SynopsisCurrowan is a portrait of tragedy, survival and the power of community. Bronwyn tells her story and those of many others - what they saw, thought and felt as they battled the most ferocious fire Australia has ever seen.

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Book SynopsisOn 30 January 1607 a huge wave, over 7 meters high, swept up the River Severn, flooding the land on either side. The wall of water reached as far in land as Bristol and Cardiff. It swept away everything in its path, devastating communities and killing thousands of people in what was Britain''s greatest natural disaster. Historian and geographer Mike Hall pieces together the contemporary accounts and the surviving physical evidence to present, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of what actually happened on that fateful day and its consequences. He also examines the possible causes of the disaster: was it just a storm surge or was it, in fact, the only recorded instance of a tsunami in Britain.

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Book SynopsisTHE TIMES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 A BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK FOR THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE, GUARDIAN, INDEPENDENT AND FINANCIAL TIMES A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK AN INSTANT #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Humanity has transformed the Earth: Frankopan transforms our understanding of history' Financial Times 'Vast, learned and timely work' Sunday Times ------ From the international bestselling author of The Silk Roads comes a major history of how a changing climate has dramatically shaped the development—and demise—of civilisations across time. When we think about history, we rarely pay much attention to the most destructive floods, the worst winters, the most devastating droughts or the ways that ecosystems have changed over time. In The Earth Transformed, Peter Frankopan, one of the world’s leading historians, shows that the natural environment is a crucial, if not the defining, factor in global history – and not just of humankind. Volcanic eruptions, solar activities, atmospheric, oceanic and other shifts, as well as anthropogenic behaviour, are fundamental parts of the past and the present. In this magnificent and groundbreaking book, we learn about the origins of our species: about the development of religion and language and their relationships with the environment; about how the desire to centralise agricultural surplus formed the origins of the bureaucratic state; about how growing demands for harvests resulted in the increased shipment of enslaved peoples; about how efforts to understand and manipulate the weather have a long and deep history. All provide lessons of profound importance as we face a precarious future of rapid global warming. Taking us from the Big Bang to the present day and beyond, The Earth Transformed forces us to reckon with humankind’s continuing efforts to make sense of the natural world. ----- 'This is epic, gripping, original history that leaps off the page' Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland 'All Historians aiming to tell a narrative face the problem of when exactly to start it. Only Peter Frankopan would go back 2.5 billion years to the Great Oxidation Event' Tom Holland A 2023 HIGHLIGHT FOR: BBC NEWS * SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE * FINANCIAL TIMES * NEW EUROPEAN * GUARDIAN * NEW STATESMAN * THE TIMES * THE WEEK * WATERSTONES * BLACKWELL'STrade ReviewFrankopan shows you how everything fits together . . . vast, learned and timely . . . The Earth Transformed is Sapiens for grown-ups . . . it holds lessons for a world grappling with rapid climate change caused by human industry -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *Frankopan has brought all this scholarly work together into a massive book that is comprehensive, well-informed and fascinating. It has the intellectual weight and dramatic force of a tsunami . . . This is an endlessly fascinating book, an easy read on an important issue -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Frankopan demonstrates an impressive mastery of anthropological, historical, and meteorological literature, and his scrupulously evenhanded analysis carefully notes uncertainties in scientific and historical evidence. Elegant and cogently argued, this illuminates an age-old and urgently important dynamic * Publishers Weekly *[Frankopan] succeeds in mastering a seemingly impossible challenge, distilling an immense mass of historical sources, scientific data and modern scholarship that span thousands of years and the entire globe into an epic and spellbinding story. Humanity has transformed the Earth: Frankopan transforms our understanding of history * Financial Times *This is epic, gripping, original history that leaps off the page. I wanted to buy everyone I know a copy -- Sathnam SangheraAll Historians aiming to tell a narrative face the problem of when exactly to start it. Only Peter Frankopan would go back 2.5 billion years to the Great Oxidation Event -- Tom HollandVast, learned and timely work * Sunday Times *A dazzling compendium of global research . . . The value of this book is as an act of deep understanding, recognising not only scientifically but culturally and philosophically that we are epiphenomena – not dominators of the Earth but products of it -- Adam Nicolson * Spectator *The Earth Transformed is an epic masterpiece. There are many 'big ideas' books out there, but often are beset by wafer-thin scholarship, and few stand up to scrutiny. This absolutely does. It's a book for the ages, and I cannot recommend it enough -- Adam Rutherford[Frankopan] has attempted successfully, and deftly, what few others have and provided an overarching perspective of the way climatic events and trends, geography and human opportunism have intertwined and defined Homo sapiens’ relationship with the planet * Geographical *The Earth Transformed makes a major contribution to raising awareness and concern, and hopefully will reach those decision makers, in the political and commercial spheres, who might have the power and means to do something about it. In many ways, this fascinating and thoughtful book’s lack of an overt political message—and its clear focus on the lessons we can learn from past civilisations and their response to climate change—make it all the more powerful a weapon, for which Prof Frankopan deserves credit and thanks * Country Life *Importantly, Frankopan shows our modern concerns about the environment are no modish fad: they were shared by ancient thinkers and leaders. Anyone with an interest in building a more sustainable world would do well to read his book * New Scientist *Peter Frankopan reveals how our lives have been shaped by environmental changes since the emergence of Homo sapiens in this sweeping, riveting study * Observer *Extraordinary . . . a work of vast scholarship. This is the first wide-ranging account of humanity's relationship with the natural world — both climate and environment . . . If this book does not make us think, then nothing will. The Earth Transformed could hardly be more timely -- Sir Antony Beevor * Daily Mail *Frankopan has done the sterling, even heroic job of making readily available much of the bountiful harvest of research in climate and environmental history. For thousands of aficionados of door-stopper history books, this one is likely to be their introduction to climate and environmental history * TLS *A wise, well-researched and essential study for our precarious times * Independent *A vital, epic history of climate change . . . Marries a serious, timely subject – the story of humanity from the perspective of climate change, both natural and man-made – with thumpingly readable prose. Frankopan may be an Oxford professor, but this is an exercise in scholarship worn gossamer-lightly. The Earth Transformed is a testament to the awesome value of in-depth research. Frankopan’s skill is to create a new genre: the ecological epic history -- Alexander Larman * Daily Telegraph *Peter’s book is an incredible, must read, magnum opus on the history of humanity and the environment, and I THOROUGHLY suggest you read it -- Greg JennerRaises fresh and urgent questions . . . in characteristically pacey style . . . Above all, his work will encourage readers to think differently about the past * Economist *Unputdownable. Seriously good and mind altering -- Emily MaitlisThe Earth Transformed aims for nothing less than the history of the world . . . A rewarding book * Mint *Frankopan’s discussion flows effortlessly, buoyed by novel connections . . . The scale of Frankopan’s ambition is admirable . . . There’s nothing so infectious as the curiosity and wonder of a talented author delighting in the details of his research . . . Must read . . . I remained engrossed until the end * Perspective Magazine *Epic . . . profound analysis; an amazing insight into how climate influenced history . . . This is a book every academician and policymaker must read. It is a book that students interested in climate change will find enthralling * Tribune *An immense work of scholarship . . . I know of no volume that tells the story with the breadth and depth of Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed. The book’s scope is extraordinary * Prospect *A remarkable piece of work * New Indian Express *On almost every page in The Earth Transformed Frankopan summons and weighs vast scientific literatures . . . Here we see the historian as an expert reader of scientific archives – databases, genetics, climate records * Sydney Morning Herald *This is a history book with a purpose, for the age of climate emergency and nature crisis . . . A great work * Politics Home *Like a vast, twisted but very fascinating gothic novel . . . One of the many things I admired about this work was the easy, confident way in which Peter Frankopan encompasses every region of the Earth * History Today *Sweeping in ambition and scale, Peter Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed tackles the history of climate change and how it has shaped human history over a 5,000-year period. Lest this sound too forbidding, be assured that the book is brilliantly shaped throughout by the human touch -- Rana Mitter * BBC History Magazine, 2023 Books of the Year *

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Book Synopsis'A remarkable and deeply moving book' Henry Marsh, bestselling author of Do No Harm'A breathtaking, extraordinary work of non-fiction' Times Literary SupplementOn 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake sent a 120-foot-high tsunami smashing into the coast of north-east Japan. It was Japan's greatest single loss of life since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.Richard Lloyd Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, lived through the earthquake in Tokyo, and spent six years reporting from the epicentre. Learning about the lives of those affected through their own personal accounts, he paints a rich picture of the impact the tsunami had on day to day Japanese life.Heart-breaking and hopeful, this intimate account of a tragedy unveils the unique nuances of Japanese culture, the tsunami's impact on Japan's stunning and majestic landscape and the psychology of its people.Ghosts of the Tsunami is an award-winning classic of literary non-fiction. It tells the moving, evocative story of how a nation faced an unimaginable catastrophe and rebuilt to look towards the future.**WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE**Trade ReviewThe definitive book on the quake which killed more than 15,000 people and led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. * Mail Online *Every time I think of it, I’m filled with wonderment... This book is a future classic of disaster journalism, up there with John Hersey’s Hiroshima. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Mr Lloyd Parry offers a voice to the grieving who, too often, found it hard to be heard. It is a thoughtful lesson to all societies whose first reaction in the face of adversity is to shut down inquiry and cover up the facts. You will not read a finer work of narrative non-fiction this year. * Economist *A stunning book from the man who has a strong claim to be the most compelling non-fiction writer in the world. -- Johann HariA book of absolute, harrowing truth and beauty. I'd give up four of my novels to have written this book. -- Jim Crace * Guardian *A breathtaking, extraordinary work… Parry writes with great fluency and timing, like a novelist alternating cadences and withholding information from the reader so as to create moments of tension and surprise. And there is something of the folklorist in the way he discusses the tradition of ghost stories in places such as Tohoku and Sendai. -- Gavin Jacobson * Times Literary Supplement *Compassionate and piercing... giving it the character of a finely conceived crime fiction or a psychological drama… Tragic, engrossing. -- Eri Hotta * Guardian *Parry, a journalist and long-time Tokyo resident, is able to draw something meaningful, even lovely, from the well of misery… Overall, the strength of the book lies in its stories, its observations and its language… The language is daring throughout. -- David Pilling * Financial Times *Ghosts of the Tsunami is alert to the social and political ramifications and transfixed by the spectral quality of the post-disaster landscape… These twin streams – one universal, the other intensely particular – come together in the mystery that is at this book’s core… Some of his most fascinating chapters take in the disaster’s psychological aftermath… It is full of stories of human endeavor, of individual and collective triumph over well-nigh insuperable odds… As well as being full of ghosts, Lloyd Parry’s A-grade reportage is also full of metaphors. -- D. J. Taylor * The Times *A remarkable and deeply moving book – describing in plain and perfect prose the almost unimaginable devastation and tragedy of the Japanese tsunami. -- Henry MarshGhosts of the Tsunami is enthralling and deeply moving, fully conveying and involving the reader in the sheer horror and tragedy of all that happened yet with such beauty, honesty and sincerity. Richard Lloyd Parry has returned the trust and done justice to the victims and their families a hundredfold. -- David PeaceWhen Lloyd Parry wrote Ghosts of the Tsunami, he was seeking “the gift of imagination… the paradoxical capacity to feel tragedy on the surface of the skin, in all its cruelty and dread, but also to understand it… with calm and penetration”. It is to his great credit that, once he attained this gift, he so generously shared it with us here. -- Yo Zushi * New Statesman *Ghosts of the Tsunami is a deeply moving and powerfully intimate work about the enduring strength of community and family in the face of unimaginable destruction and loss. This is a haunting, beautiful, and unforgettable book. -- Héctor Tobar, author of DEEP DOWN DARKA well-researched, polyphonic narrative of what happened on the day 133-ft waves swept in — and how the story continued long after the news cameras left… Lloyd Parry offers a rare glimpse into the history and culture of a region where entire villages were wiped out… By gaining the trust of those on the ground, the author has created an unrivalled account of how Tohoku grieved, and is still grieving. -- Emily Finch * Prospect *The character sketches are colourful; the chapters end on cliffhangers. Lloyd Parry’s prose is fast-flowing, occasionally stopped short by a blunt sentence… His treatment evokes John Hersey’s Hiroshima, published a year after the dropping of the bomb… He has done a fine job of fashioning a focused story, and some powerful arguments, from the tsunami’s wreckage. But his book gives vivid expression to what should be obvious: there is nothing neat or aesthetic about a natural disaster like this. -- Alex Dudok de Wit * Daily Telegraph *Extraordinary… Lloyd Parry writes movingly about the emotional chasm that now separates the parents who saved their children and those who assumed the authorities knew best… God isn’t very popular in the West these days, so it’s striking to read a book written in civilized, elegant prose that doesn’t rip apart Buddhist priests and Christian pastors at the first mention. -- John Sweeney * Literary Review *Ghosts of the Tsunami is a brilliant chronicle of one of the modern world's worst disasters, but it's also a necessary act of witness. The stories Parry tells are wrenching, and he refuses to mitigate the enormity of the tsunami with false optimism or saccharine feel-good anecdotes. Above all, it's a beautiful meditation on grief. * NPR *Parry studs the story with gems of language and detail... The result is a spellbinding book that is well worth contemplating in an era marked by climate change and natural disaster. -- Kathleen Rooney * Chicago Tribune *Parry spoke to the parents and friends of the children and staff involved, and his relating of first-hand accounts of the tragedy is almost unbearable to read at times… Not an easy read, but a rewarding one all the same. -- Doug Johnstone * Big Issue *The human cost of the deadly Japanese tsunami is examined in this powerful and absorbing work that exposes the emotional trauma the mountain of water left in its wake… Parry, who has worked in Japan for years, documents with great closeness and insight the impact of such staggering loss on people living in a society not noted for its emotionality. -- David Wilcock * Belfast Telegraph Morning *His central narrative swirls around the black hole formed in those 45 critical minutes between quake and tsunami. He knows that its awful gravity may pull some readers in, and push others away. -- Stephen Phelan * Herald Scotland *Natural disaster is given a jarringly human constitution in Ghosts Of The Tsunami… This is "literary non-fiction", full of gilded language and sensations as Parry recounts the scene he was met with when he travelled up the coast of Japan to where the giant waves had hit. A transcendental reading experience. -- Hilary A White * Irish Independent *Ghosts of the Tsunami deals mainly with the aftermath of the tragedy – days, weeks and months in which parents continued doggedly looking in the mud for their children, knowing full well that there was no chance of finding them alive. Their testimonies are unbearably moving. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *This is a haunting account of Okawa’s loss and it is almost unbearably sad. Parry rarely speaks of his own reactions but he is the most compassionate of writers, allowing the voices of those he encounters to be heard… Exceptional. * Lady *Powerful and absorbing. * i *A sobering and compelling narrative of calamity. * Kirkus *This is a piercing look at the communities ravaged by the tsunami -- Eri Hotta * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''The future of all life on this earth depends on our willingness to take action now'' David AttenboroughThe official companion to the ground-breaking Netflix original series.With a foreword by Sir David Attenborough, breathtakingly beautiful still photography, specially commissioned maps and graphics, and compelling text expanding on the remarkable TV stories and giving the reader a depth of information that is impossible on screen, this companion book presents a whole new view of the place we call home.Featuring some of the world''s rarest creatures and previously unseen parts of the Earth from deep oceans to remote forests to ice caps, Our Planet takes nature-lovers deep into the science of our natural world.Revealing the most amazing sights on Earth in unprecedented ways, alongside stories of the ways humans are affecting the world''s ecosystems, from the wildebeest migrations in Africa to thTrade ReviewAstonishing book...full of beautiful photographs * Radio Times *Featuring some of the world's rarest creatures and previously unseen parts of the Earth - Our Planet travels deep into the science of our natural world. Revealing the most amazing sights, alongside stories of the way humans are affecting the world's ecosystems - this book is part of a vital global conversation about protecting and preserving the planet. * Compass Magazine *A treat on your coffee table and a fine companion to any binge watch of the series * Wanderlust *Breathtaking photographs * Radio Times *Revealing the most amazing sights on Earth, alongside stories of the way humans are affecting the world's ecosystems, this book places itself at the forefront of a global conversation as we work together to protect and preserve the planet. * Catholic Times *

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Book SynopsisThe new revised fifth edition of Natural Hazards remains the go-to introductory-level survey intended for university and college courses that are concerned with earth processes that have direct, and often sudden and violent, impacts on human society. The text integrates principles of geology, hydrology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, soil science, ecology, and solar system astronomy. The textbook explains the earth processes that drive hazardous events in an understandable way, illustrate how these processes interact with our civilization, and describe how we can better adjust to their effects. Written by leading scholars in the area, the new edition of this book takes advantage of the greatly expanding amount of information regarding natural hazards, disasters, and catastrophes. The text is designed for learning with each chapter broken into small consumable chunks of content for students. Each chapter opens with a list of learning objectives and ends with revision as well Table of Contents 1 Introduction to Natural Hazards 2 Internal Structure of Earth and Plate Tectonics 3 Earthquakes 4 Tsunamis 5 Volcanoes 6 Flooding 7 Mass Wasting 8 Subsidence and Soils 9 Atmospheric Processes and Severe Weather 10 Hurricanes and Extratropical Cyclones 11 Coastal Hazards 12 Climate and Climate Change 13 Wildfires 14 Impacts and Extinctions

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Book SynopsisEmergency First Aid, 3rd Edition, is a reference guide on how to recognize and respond to common medical emergencies. It will allow the user to check for vital signs and assess the severity of medical emergencies and when to call for help, how to care for victims until medical help arrives, or what to do if a situation requires immediate response (e.g., choking, emergency childbirth). In an emergency, it will quickly and simply instruct you of what you can do to help.

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. The Management of Disasters 2. Hazards 3. Risk and Vulnerability 4. Mitigation 5. Preparedness 6. Response 7. Recovery 8. Participants: Governmental Disaster Management Agencies 9. Participants: Nongovernmental Organizations, Academia, and the Private Sector 10. Participants: Multilateral Organizations and International Financial Institutions 11. Special Considerations

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Book Synopsis'A work of sheer brilliance, beauty and bravery' Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less'Masterly... Her essays have a clarity and prescience that imply a sort of distant, retrospective view, like postcards sent from the near future' New York TimesWe stare at our phones. We keep multiple tabs open. Our chats and conversations are full of the phrase "Did you see?" The feeling that we're living in the worst of times seems to be intensifying, alongside a desire to know precisely how bad things have gotten.Poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert's The Unreality of Memory consists of a series of lyrical and deeply researched meditations on what our culture of catastrophe has done to public discourse and our own inner lives. In these tender and prophetic essays, she focuses in on our daily preoccupation and favorite pasttime: desperate distraction from disaster by way of a desperate obsession with the disastrous.Moving from public trauma to personal tragedy, from the Titanic and Chernobyl to illness and loss, The Unreality of Memory alternately rips away the facade of our fascination with destruction and gently identifies itself with the age of rubbernecking. A balm, not a burr, Gabbert's essays are a hauntingly perceptive analysis of the anxiety intrinsic in our new, digital ways of being, and also a means of reconciling ourselves to this new world.'One of those joyful books that send you to your notebook every page or so, desperate not to lose either the thought the author has deftly placed in your mind or the title of a work she has now compelled you to read.' Paris ReviewTrade ReviewA work of sheer brilliance, beauty and bravery. * Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less *Moves fluidly from disaster to dislocation to political upheaval, offering a kind of literary road map to our tumultuous era. * Kirkus, starred review *With poetic precision, The Unreality of Memory lays bare the truth, beauty, and pain of living in our era. Examining disasters both manmade and natural, Gabbert's essays perform a beautiful autopsy of our fears, showing us what it means to exist in a time of eternal apocalypse. Breathtaking in its scope and thought and captivating prose, Unreality is a necessary and vital handbook for anyone experiencing the existential dread of everyday modern life. * Lyz Lenz, author of Belabored *Wildly fun and casually brilliant, this book will make you feel happier while you're reading it and smarter once you finish. * Sandra Newman, author of The Heavens *Amid impending disasters too vast even to be perceived, what can we do-cognitively, morally, and practically? Gabbert, a tenacious researcher and a ruthless self-examiner, probes this ultimate abstraction in her essays, goes past wordless dread and comes up with enough reasoned consideration to lead us through. Do you feel-and how can you not-as if your emotional endurance is exhausted by horrors already well underway? Then you should read this book. * Sarah Manguso, author of 300 Arguments *Elisa Gabbert is one of my favorite writers, but how I wish her new book wasn't so timely! I mean this as the highest praise: I had to go lie down in between essays. * Austin Kleon, bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist *Whatever the chosen topic, Gabbert's essays manage to be by turns poetic, philosophical, and exhaustively researched. This is a superb collection. * Publishers Weekly *Elisa Gabbert's essays are always worth reading ... Not necessarily uplifting, but personally, I find reading the meditations of a brilliant writer, particularly meditations about the dread I can't shake, both soothing and invigorating. * Lit Hub *Elisa Gabbert's The Unreality of Memory is one of those joyful books that send you to your notebook every page or so, desperate not to lose either the thought the author has deftly placed in your mind or the title of a work she has now compelled you to read. The essays encompass sickness and trauma, anesthesia and memory, politics and political apathy, but owing to the force of Gabbert's attention, the book remains determinedly cohesive. Written before COVID-19 altered all our lives so irretrievably, it is also a work of uncanny prescience. * Paris Review *[A] searing essay collection that takes place at the intersection of devastation, technology, and memory. In shattering essays, Gabbert explores if and how and why certain threats register more than others, and how even seemingly immutable facts are subject to spin from our imprecise recollections. * Vulture *The true mark of a timeless book is that it feels timely no matter when you read it; Elisa Gabbert's new essay collection - full of provocative, prescient meditations about politics and illness and memory and identity- has just that kind of exquisite urgency. Gabbert looks at both the past and present to contemplate and probe at what may become our future. Unafraid to explore the darkest reaches of our minds and behaviors, Gabbert still offers a glimmer of hope amid all the anxiety and terror of our age. After all, if there's writing like this to keep us company, maybe things aren't so bad after all? * Refinery 29 *Absolutely stunning... a book for our times. * BookPage *Masterly... Her essays have a clarity and prescience that imply a sort of distant, retrospective view, like postcards sent from the near future * New York Times *The worst thing about neverending eschatological dread is how lonely it makes you feel. This book by Elisa Gabbert is like having a calm, brilliant, clear-eyed companion to talk you through your end-times horror. (I needed it.) * Lauren Groff, via Twitter *Poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert's voice is calm, playfully engaging and clear - a voice for our anxious, wired times, if ever there was one. This second book of nonfiction functions as a field guide to digital anxiety, its subjects ranging from computer-animated recreations of the sinking of the Titanic to "mirror delusions" and a history of psychosomatic disorders. Each diligently researched essay seems to evolve organically and if she doomscrolls her way down a rabbit hole, you know it will lead somewhere not just pertinent, but poetic and philosophical too. * Observer *Table of Contents1: MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION 2: DOOMSDAY PATTERN 3: THREATS 4: BIG AND SLOW 5: THE GREAT MORTALITY 6: THE LITTLE ROOM (OR, THE UNREALITY OF MEMORY) 7: VANITY PROJECT 8: WITCHES AND WHIPLASH 9: SLEEP NO MORE 10: TRUE CRIME 11: I'M SO TIRED 12: IN OUR MIDST 13: EPILOGUE: THE UNREALITY OF TIME

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Book SynopsisThis book deals with the contemporary subject of perception of risk and its influence on accidents and disasters. The contents examine the conventional viewpoints on human errors, incubation of errors, complexity and organisational deviance as a cause for accidents. Work of Mary Douglas with regard to risk, Charles Perrow's work on the normal accident theory and Diane Vaughan's theory on normalisation of deviance are examined from a fresh perspective in this book. It also discusses prominent accidents in aviation, space, nuclear energy, automotive and healthcare, using the pandemic and Boeing 737 Max as a backdrop to study accidents and disasters. It further explores the background and similarities to these events and addresses the core issues such as the state of regulation, the worldview of the sociologists, and proposes that mental models of complex systems, avarice and risk for gain as other possibilities for accidents. Using the concept of nudge in behavioural economics and the Elinor Ostrom’s viewpoint on regulating for common good, it suggests a way forward through the High Reliability Organisation Theory (HRO) leading to enhanced risk perception. The book will be of interest to those who would like to understand the need to incorporate risk perception into regulation, engineers and scientists, professionals and policy makers working in the areas of disaster and risk management, technology areas like aviation, nuclear plants, space and healthcare, students of the sociology of risk and of course the general reader.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Incidents, Accidents and Unmitigated Disasters.- Learning from Failures – Evolution of Risk and Safety Regulation.- Keep it Simple but Not Stupid - Complex Technology and Complex Organisations.- Are Failures Stepping Stones to More Failures - The Sociology of Danger and Risk.- To Err is Human – What exactly is Human Error?.- What I Do Not Know Will Hurt Me - Mental Models and Risk Perception.- Is Greed Really that Good - Avarice and Gain versus Risk and Blame.- And There is Dr. Kato: How Does it Look and Where Do We Go from Here?.

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Book Synopsis**SUNDAY TIMES AND THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**''An epoch-defining book'' Matt Haig''If you read just one work of non-fiction this year, it should probably be this'' David Sexton, Evening StandardSelected as a Book of the Year 2019 by the Sunday Times, Spectator and New StatesmanA Waterstones Paperback of the Year and shortlisted for the Foyles Book of the Year 2019Longlisted for the PEN / E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award It is worse, much worse, than you think. The slowness of climate change is a fairy tale, perhaps as pernicious as the one that says it isn''t happening at all, and if your anxiety about it is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible, even within the lifetime of a teenager today.Over the past decades, the term Anthropocene has climbed into the popular imagination - a name given to the geologic era we live in now, one defined by human intervention in the life of the planet. But however sanguine you might be about the proposition that we have ravaged the natural world, which we surely have, it is another thing entirely to consider the possibility that we have only provoked it, engineering first in ignorance and then in denial a climate system that will now go to war with us for many centuries, perhaps until it destroys us. In the meantime, it will remake us, transforming every aspect of the way we live-the planet no longer nurturing a dream of abundance, but a living nightmare.Trade ReviewIn crystalline prose, Wallace-Wells provides a devastating overview of where we are in terms of climate crisis and ecological destruction, and what the future will hold if we keep on going down the same path. Urgently readable, this is an epoch-defining book. -- Matt Haig, 'The Book that Changed My Mind' * The Guardian *'Clear, engaging and often dazzling' * The Telegraph *'A masterly analysis' * Nature *Relentless, angry journalism of the highest order. Read it and, for the lack of any more useful response, weep. . . .The article was a sensation and the book will be, too. -- Bryan Appleyard * The Sunday Times *The most terrifying book I have ever read . . . a meticulously documented, white-knuckled tour through the cascading catastrophes that will soon engulf our warming planet. * The New York Times *This is what I'm reading now: The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. It focuses on the range of realistic possibilities with climate change. It does not sugarcoat, and can be quite scary -- that's without primarily focusing on the worstcase scenario. When people ask 'What can I do? - Read! What we need right now, in this country, is for all of us to be better, including ourselves.A must-read. It's not only the grandkids and the kids: it's you. And it's not only those in other countries: it's you. -- Margaret Atwood * Twitter *I've not stopped talking about The Uninhabitable Earth since I opened the first page. And I want every single person on this planet to read it.Riveting . . . Some readers will find Mr Wallace-Wells's outline of possible futures alarmist. He is indeed alarmed. You should be, too. * The Economist *Skipping the scientific jargon and relaying the facts in urgent and elegant prose, the magazine editor crafts a stirring wake-up call to recognize how global warming will permanently alter every aspect of human life. -- Best Nonfiction Books of 2019 So Far * Time *Wallace-Wells is an extremely adept storyteller, simultaneously urgent and humane . . . [he] does a terrifyingly good job of moving between the specific and the abstract. * Slate *Enough to induce an honest-to-God panic attack ... The margins of my review copy of the book are scrawled with expressions of terror and despair, declining in articulacy as the pages proceed, until it's all just cartoon sad faces and swear words ... To read The Uninhabitable Earth is to understand the collapse of the distinction between alarmism and plain realism -- Mark O'Connell * The Guardian *There is much to learn from this book. From media and scientific reports of the past decade, Wallace-Wells sifts key predictions and conveys them in vivid prose. -- David George Haskell * The Observer *Brilliant ... At the heart of Wallace-Wells's book is a remorseless, near-unbearable account of what we are doing to our planet * The New York Times *Not since Bill McKibben's "The End of Nature" 30 years ago have we been told what climate change will mean in such vivid terms. -- Fred Pearce * The Washington Post *Everyone should stop what they're doing and read The Uninhabitable Earth by @dwallacewells. This is our future if we don't act now. -- Johann Hari * Twitter *Wake up! Get educated - The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace Wells is a great place to start. -- Paris Lees * Vogue *A book that's by turns alarming, terrifying and just downright bleak . . . a sustained piece of informed polemic. * The Evening Standard *A very accessible and compelling read . . . a much more nuanced and a much more hopeful vision than you might expect. * The Irish Times *I think everyone should probably right now read David Wallace-Wells's The Uninhabitable Earth, which tells the grim story with as much optimism as possible, and which gives all the facts. -- Daniel Swift * The Spectator, Books of the Year *Well-written, captivating, occasionally wry and utterly petrifying * i News *In his gripping new book ... Wallace-Wells shocks us out of complacency' * Prospect *If you read just one work of non-fiction this year, it should probably be [this] . . . What this book forces you to face is more important than any other subject you could be informing yourself about. * The Evening Standard *Exceptionally well researched and written. . . . This short, concise book pulls no punches.Yes, this book will scare you, but it will also prompt you to take action to ensure the damage we as humans have done to the planet is stopped. * Stylist, ‘Your guide to 2019’s best non-fiction books’ *Most of us known the gist, if not the details, of the climate change crisis. And yet it is almost impossible to sustain strong feelings about it. David Wallace-Wells has now provided the details, and with writing that is not only clear and forceful, but often imaginative and even funny, he has found a way to make the information deeply felt. This is a profound book, which simultaneously makes me terrified and hopeful about the future, full of regret and new will.Harrowing. -- Jonathan Franzen * The New Yorker *The Uninhabitable Earth hits you like a comet, with an overflow of insanely lyrical prose about our pending armageddon.Just finished The Uninhabitable Earth by @dwallacewells. Everyone, everywhere, should read it. Can't remember the last time a book had such an impact on me. * Twitter *Yes, this book will scare you, but it will also prompt you to take action to ensure the damage we as humans have done to the planet is stopped. * Stylist, Your Guide to the Best Books of 2019 *On [Alexandra] Ocasio-Cortez's office bookshelf, near a picture of her late father and a photo of her with a local Girl Scout troop, two books nestle together in uneasy union. One is the Federalist papers. The other is The Uninhabitable Earth. * Time magazine profile on Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez *If there are people around to write history books in the future, they will look back at the @ExtinctionR protestors and think they were the sanest people of our time. Read The Uninhabitable Earth by @dwallacewells if you don't know why. * Johann Hari, Twitter *If we don't want our grandchildren to curse us, we had better read this book.David Wallace-Wells argues that the impacts of climate change will much graver than most people realize, and he's right. The Uninhabitable Earth is a timely and provocative work.Trigger warning: when scientists conclude that yesterday's worst-case scenario for global warming is probably unwarranted optimism, it's time to ask Scotty to beam you up. At least that was my reaction upon finishing Wallace-Wells' brilliant and unsparing analysis of a nightmare that is no longer a distant future but our chaotic, burning present.A lucid and thorough description of our unprecedented crisis, and of the mechanisms of denial with which we seek to avoid its fullest recognition.

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Book SynopsisHave you accidentally ended up in the middle of a Disaster Zone? Yes? Well, do not panic! This book of top survival tips has everything you need to know about one of the world's most devastating disasters. Hold on tight... It is about to get dangerous!

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Book Synopsis‘A book about one apocalypse – much less five – could have been a daunting read, were it not for the wit, lyricism, and clarity that Peter Brannen brings to every page.’ Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes Apocalypse, now? Death by fire, ice, poison gas, suffocation, asteroid. At five moments through history life on Earth was dragged to the very edge of extinction. Now, armed with revolutionary technology, scientists are uncovering clues about what caused these catastrophes. Deep-diving into past worlds of dragonflies the size of seagulls and fishes with guillotines for mouths, they explore how – against all the odds – life survived and what these ominous chapters can tell us about our future.Trade Review'His evocative prose brings the “incomprehensible eternities” of ancient history vividly alive…A remarkable journey into the deep past that has much to teach us about the future of our planet.' * Guardian *‘Gripping… Brannen excels at evoking lost worlds.’ * The New Yorker *‘Fascinating.’ * The Economist *‘A book about one apocalypse – much less five – could have been a daunting read, were it not for the wit, lyricism, and clarity that Peter Brannen brings to every page. He is a storyteller at the height of his powers, and he has found a story worth telling.’ -- Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes‘An exciting detective story venturing into the extraordinary worlds of our Earth’s past to discover what caused them to end. Brannen describes unimaginable floods, planet-scale catastrophes and incredible creatures that were once common. A cautionary tale for the future of our human age.’ -- Gaia Vince, author of Adventures in the Anthropocene‘[Brannen] is a companionable guide, as good at breathing life into the fossilized prose of scientific papers as he is at conjuring the Ordovician reign of the nautiloids.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘Urgent, compelling and beautifully written, Peter Brannen brings immense geological timescales sharply into focus, forcing us to reflect on humanity’s brief but potent impact on the planet through the lens of deep time. Whether through fascination with the ancient past or grim fear for our future, The Ends of the Worlds is essential reading.’ -- Kat Arney, science writer and broadcaster‘If readers have time for only one book on the subject, this wonderfully written, well-balanced, and intricately researched (though not too dense) selection is the one to choose.’ * Library Journal, starred review *‘A vivid, fascinating story about all the past and future lives of our planet. Peter Brannen has the knack of opening up new worlds under our feet.’ -- Michael Pye, author of The Edge of the World‘History repeats itself, the first time as a tragedy, the second as farce. Human history, that is. But the history of life on planet Earth only ever repeats as tragedy, as Peter Brannen explains in this powerful and unsettling book. The Ends of the World recounts the breath-taking stories of the five mass extinctions that have punctuated and diverted the course of evolution. Its vertiginous sense of the awful fragility of living things will never leave you, not least because humanity may now be writing the ultimate end of Brannen’s riveting tale.’ -- Stephen Curry, professor of structural biology, Imperial College‘Want to know the future? Look to the past, the deep past. That’s one of the many insights you’ll glean from reading Brannen’s entertaining, engaging, elegant book.’ -- David Biello, author of The Unnatural World‘Fascinating.’ * Geographical Magazine *‘Much-needed as a cautionary lesson and a hopeful demonstration of how life on Earth keeps rebounding from destruction.’ * Booklist *'A simultaneously enlightening and cautionary tale of the deep history of our planet and the possible future, when conscious life may become extinct…. Entertaining and informative on the geological record and the researchers who study it. [Brannen] provides a useful addition to the popular literature on climate change.' * Kirkus Reviews *‘Robert Frost only gave us two options to end the world: fire or ice. Peter Brannen informs us in this fun rollick through deep history that there are so many more interesting ways to go.’ -- Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish

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Book SynopsisThe Katrina disaster was not a weather event of summer 2005. It was a disaster a century in the making, a product of lessons learned from previous floods, corporate and government decision making, and the political economy of the United States at large. New Orleans’s history is America’s history, and Katrina represents America’s possible future.Trade ReviewThe main thrust of Horowitz’s account is to make us understand Katrina—the civic calamity, not the storm itself—as a consequence of decades of bad decisions by humans, not an unanticipated caprice of nature…He leaves readers with a strong sense that it’s only a matter of time before there is a similar disaster in New Orleans, and that, in whatever lull there is between now and then, things aren’t great. -- Nicholas Lemann * New Yorker *Brilliant…If you want to read only one book to better understand why people in positions of power in government and industry do so little to address climate change, even with wildfires burning and ice caps melting and extinctions becoming a daily occurrence, this is the one… Horowitz shows—patiently and damningly—how the decisions made by Louisiana’s political and business elite systematically rendered the region vulnerable to disaster. -- Scott W. Stern * Los Angeles Review of Books *Easily the best book on the subject since Douglas Brinkley’s 2006 The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast…The fact that Katrina’s impact fell disproportionately on poor Louisianans raises a host of issues that Horowitz addresses better than any previous narrative history of the catastrophe. -- Steve Donoghue * Christian Science Monitor *Horowitz does a masterful job of describing the public and private engineering projects that made possible real estate construction, oil exploration, and other forms of economic expansion in New Orleans during the twentieth century, building fortunes for a few while putting thousands in the path of the next big storm… Disasters have the power to reveal who we are, what we value, what we’re willing—and unwilling—to protect. -- Eric Klinenberg * New York Review of Books *Horowitz is engrossed by the stark imbalance that pandering to the powerful industries of shipping and oil and gas has produced between ‘private profits and public liabilities.’ His story is a feisty blend of urban environmental history and history of political economy, of land subsidence (drained land sinks) and subsidized loans that create a false sense of impermeability…From start to finish, Horowitz’s necessary book is passionately political. -- Peter Coates * Times Literary Supplement *This masterful history opens nearly a century before the storm and examines how so many people came to live in such a vulnerable place. * The Economist *Horowitz chronicles an endless hustle in which governments and wealthy developers seize landscapes and mold them without regard to long-term consequences, and in which white people and moneyed interests have fixed advantages…A sadly predictable, distinctly American story. -- John McQuaid * Washington Monthly *Politicians and corporations, among others, have made poor communities of color vulnerable to climate disasters. As Katrina: A History demonstrates, political and economic choices traded the present and future lives of Louisiana’s poor (and especially poor Black) people for unevenly distributed short-term gain…Attentive to history, Horowitz has harsh words for climate utopians who look for technological solutions to the city’s problems. -- Elias Rodriques * Bookforum *Calling upon a century of history to tell the story of what many Americans limit to a span of days or weeks, Horowitz’s Katrina is a devastating and important text for understanding the deep-seated inequality, infrastructure failure, and government carelessness that led to one of America’s worst disasters…Reading Horowitz in the age of COVID-19, as the powerful determine who and what are expendable, feels especially instructive. -- Andru Okun * Los Angeles Review of Books *The definitive portrait of the ‘causes and consequences’ of Hurricane Katrina. Horowitz brilliantly explores the disastrous links between warming temperatures, systemic racism, government mismanagement, and corporate greed. Few books better capture the monumental threat that climate change poses to America’s cities. * Publishers Weekly *For those who are interested in getting through this current disaster by reading about other disasters…The whole idea is that Katrina was not just a tragic singular event that happened in 2005, but the result of centuries of terrible—often intentional—political and business decisions that had been made over the course of the hundred years prior…A super lively and engaging writer. * The Strategist *[A] sweeping overview of the historic, social and economic factors that played into the disaster and its aftermath. * The Times-Picayune *A vivid and persuasive chronicle of the ‘causes and consequences’ of Hurricane Katrina…Horowitz argues that a combination of environmental challenges, structural racism, and governmental misjudgment resulted in a massive loss of life…Even readers who have never visited the Crescent City will be moved by this incisive account. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Incisive…Horowitz argues persuasively that the destruction incurred by Hurricane Katrina was not merely a meteorological event, but part of a long process of political, environmental, economic, and cultural decisions…An eye-opening environmental history. * Kirkus Reviews *Horowitz’s lucid, detailed, and balanced account of the long, crooked paths that led up to Katrina reinforces one of history’s most important lessons. * Daily Beast *Horowitz disrupts the narrative of disaster as exception…[Tells] the story of Katrina as a cycle of profit-driven and government-sanctioned growth and dispossession. -- Maia Silber * Public Books *Horowitz relentlessly pursues how the history of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the United States produced Katrina over the course of a century…Horowitz’s argument…has the potential to make a radical contribution to the history of technology…The writing is masterful, at times transcendent. -- Cornelis Disco * Technology and Culture *This thoroughly researched and clearly written book exposes the relationship between inequality and urban geography, offering a chilling glimpse of future disasters in the making. * Climate and Capitalism *Among the best histories of modern New Orleans. It is, moreover, a towering intervention in modern urban environmental and political history that shows not only how human actions shape disasters, but also how urban history is inseparable from metropolitan, regional, and national histories. Finally, it offers a warning that in an age of climate change and rising sea levels, no one may assume that future crises will visit themselves only on the disadvantaged in urban America. -- J. Mark Souther * The Metropole *Not only a definitive analysis of the storm as it affected New Orleans but also a peerless example of how historians should understand disasters—regardless of specialization—and why those events might matter even to scholars normally unconcerned with such seemingly extraordinary phenomena…As Horowitz goes on to illustrate in gripping detail, the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina is inextricable from decades of slow-moving, unexceptional events that are as much the province of social or political history as environmental history. -- Adam Mandelman * Environmental History *Horowitz is a gifted storyteller…This book is the best published history of Katrina. It is a major contribution to urban history, environmental history, and disaster studies, with relevance far beyond southern Louisiana. -- Josiah Rector * Journal of Southern History *Katrina: A History is a beautiful book about a long, ugly chapter in our nation’s history. Horowitz brilliantly demonstrates that the storm carried with it a century of poor decisions that both preceded and followed the disaster. Corporate greed, misguided policymaking, environmental blindness, corrupt politics, crippling racism, and class inequality: all these human failings were as significant as the broken levees and hurricane-force winds. This is not just a compelling history; it is a distressing warning about our future. -- Lizabeth Cohen, author of Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban AgeThis is by far the most important treatment of Hurricane Katrina—an extraordinarily valuable work of scholarship. Andy Horowitz offers a fresh perspective that serves both as a corrective and also an entirely different way of understanding one of the most critical chapters in the nation’s environmental and political history. -- Ari Kelman, author of A River and Its City: The Nature of Landscape in New OrleansIn 2005, in the eyes of many, the history of New Orleans and lower Louisiana shrank to a single moment of natural disaster. Andy Horowitz’s Katrina recovers the all-too-human policies, limited perspectives, and sheer greed that created the conditions for the events of 2005 over the course of the previous century—conditions that prevented an equitable recovery process, and continue to obscure the ways in which ‘Katrina’ was not just about one unfortunate group of people, but also heralds our collective future. This book is an important reinterpretation of the history of New Orleans, the history of disaster, and the history of our nation. -- Leslie M. Harris, author of In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626–1863This book sees not only the forest and the trees but the blades of grass between the trees. Horowitz properly places the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in the much larger context of regional history, national and local policy decisions, and societal mores which all added up to having tragic if—mostly—unintended consequences, while not losing sight of intimate details and the personal stories of those who experienced the storm and rebuilt the city. Well-written and at times gripping, this is the most important book about Katrina so far. -- John M. Barry, author of Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed AmericaAlthough it is difficult to imagine a fresh take, Andy Horowitz has provided one…Horowitz has made a superb contribution to the field. His long view of the conditions that created New Orleans’s particular vulnerability fundamentally shifts the paradigm for understanding both the impact of and recovery from the storm, and his extraordinary prose will make the reader stop and read twice just for the fun of it. -- Christopher Manning * Louisiana History *Meant to be read, and ought to be read, by anyone who wishes to be an engaged citizen in our current moment of climate change, racial reckoning, and vast economic inequality. -- Aaron Sachs * California History *Katrina is a masterful work that is multi-disciplinary in its approach to a very complex city situated in a hazardous environment…[and] a model for the evaluation of exposure and vulnerability in other cities and communities that experience geophysical events (such as earthquakes and tornadoes). It makes a strong case that ‘disasters’ are not natural. -- Gerald Mills * Society *

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air, Rachel Slade's Into the Raging Sea is a nail-biting account of the sinking of the container ship El Faro, the crew of thirty-three who perished onboard, and the destructive forces of globalisation that put the ship in harm's way.On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle and swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in one of the worst shipping disasters in decades. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications, a sophisticated navigation system, and cutting-edge weather forecasting could suddenly vanish until now.Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members and maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves whose conversations were captured by the ship's data recorder journalist Rachel Slade unravels the mystery of the sinking of El Faro. As she recounts the final twenty-four hours onboard, Slade vividly depicts the oTrade Review‘An extraordinary piece of reporting. Slade has accomplished what very few authors ever attempt: to explain the loss of a ship with no survivors. I tore through it like a novel but with the inside knowledge of how insulated the shipping industry is, how well it protects secrets and of the countless nets it deploys to entangle journalists. Slade pushes through the waves, heavy seas, and military court imbroglio in the same way El Faro faced hurricane Joaquin – dead on at Full Speed Ahead’ John Konrad, author of Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story Of Deepwater Horizon Disaster “The one account I’ve read that solves the riddle of El Faro convincingly and thoroughly. Rachel Slade mashes up The Perfect Storm with a suspenseful, page-turning thriller, cutting through the corporate double-speak to shine a light on how it was that thirty-three men and women sailed into Hurricane Joaquin. Superbly written, this deserves a place on the bookshelf of modern maritime classics. Even those who have followed El Faro closely will find major surprises here’ Robert Frump, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Until the Sea Shall Free Them: Life, Death, and Survival in the Merchant Marine

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1 Front Matter; 2 Summary; 3 1 Earth Sciences in the 21st Century; 4 2 New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences; 5 3 Findings and Recommendations; 6 References; 7 Appendixes; 8 Appendix A: List of Background Materials; 9 Appendix B: List of Contributors; 10 Appendix C: Committee and Staff Biographies

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Book SynopsisA real-life thriller in the vein of The Devil in the White City, Kate Winkler Dawson''s debut Death in the Air is a gripping, historical narrative of a serial killer, an environmental disaster, and an iconic city struggling to regain its footing. London was still recovering from the devastation of World War II when another disaster hit: for five long days in December 1952, a killer smog held the city firmly in its grip and refused to let go. Day became night, mass transit ground to a halt, criminals roamed the streets, and some 12,000 people died from the poisonous air. But in the chaotic aftermath, another killer was stalking the streets, using the fog as a cloak for his crimes. All across London, women were going missing--poor women, forgotten women. Their disappearances caused little alarm, but each of them had one thing in common: they had the misfortune of meeting a quiet, unassuming man, John Reginald Christie, who invited them back to his de

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Book SynopsisSurvival narrative meets scientific, natural and social history in the riveting story of a volcanic disaster.Trade Review"With 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, this is an urgent reminder of the need for advances in the field." -- Nature"... Olson is a gifted science communicator…" -- Physics World"Steve Olson not only tells their personal stories, but also turns the tension between the science and the cultural assumptions at play on that day into a drama that reads like a tragic thriller." -- Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2016 Shortlist - UKClimbing.com"In Mr. Olson’s telling, [the survivors’] stories read like urgent fiction… These vignettes lend a human face to an event that has become associated largely with geology." -- The Wall Street Journal

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Book Synopsis''A captivating novel of love, deception and misunderstanding'' WOMANDan and Sally Oliver and their friend Chloe Hennessey are lucky to be alive. Three years on, after surviving one of the world''s biggest natural disasters - the Boxing Day tsunami - their lives have changed dramatically.Dan and Sally are now parents. Dan is enjoying being a stay-at-home father taking care of their young son, and Sally is the breadwinner and loves her job as a partner in a Manchester law firm. The arrangement has so far worked well, but when Dan starts to question whether Sally has got her priorities right, the cracks in their marriage begin to appear. Dan and Sally have everything Chloe wishes for in life - a happy marriage and a beautiful child. Dumped by her long-term boyfriend just weeks after the tsunami, she''s been on a mission ever since to find the perfect father for the child she craves. When she meets Seth Hawthorne, she thinks she may have hit the jackpot. Trade ReviewA captivating novel of love, deception and misunderstanding * Woman & Home *Three friends - Dan, his wife Sally, and her best friend, Chloe - struggle to come to terms with the devastating effects on them of the Boxing Day Tsunami ... How the three battle to cope with heartache and major decisions is tenderly and thoughtfully told in this touching tale' * Good Book Guide *I really couldn't put it down. It's a thoughtful look at how the big events in life threaten to drown us, but it's those little things which cause all the problems. The characters are people you can warm to ... definitely recommended * www.thebookbag.co.uk *Erica James is a clever writer who quickly gets the reader enthralled by her characters and so involved in their lives that you will find it hard not to keep those pages turning ... if you are going on holiday you must pack this in your suitcase * Welsh Country Magazine *

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Book SynopsisProviding shelter after a disaster is recognised as one of the most complex areas of humanitarian relief and recovery. Some aid agencies have stopped providing shelter altogether after bad experiences, while those that do quickly become engaged in challenges that go far beyond the provision of structures alone. Yet with the number and severity of disasters set to increase, due to climate change and rapid urban growth, the need for approaches that work has never been greater.This book explores the issues in three parts. The first, Practice, looks at lessons from past efforts. Part two, Process, proposes practical and effective people-centred approaches. Part three considers currently neglected issues such as disability, human rights and urban-oriented approaches. Through practical case studies and academic research, Beyond Shelter after Disaster critiques past methods and explores future options for improving practice in one of the most complex areas of post disaster re

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Book SynopsisThis volume addresses the imperative need for recognizing, exploring, and developing the role of multilingual communication in crisis settings. It is recognized that 'communication is aid' and that access to communication is an undeniable human right in crises. Even where effective and accurate information is available to be distributed, circulated, and broadcast in different ways through an ever-growing array of technologies, too often the language barrier remains in place. From the Philippines to Lebanon via Spain, Italy, Columbia, and the UK, crisis situations occur worldwide, with different cultural reactions and needs everywhere. The contributors of this volume represent a geographical mixture of regions, language combinations, and disciplines, because crisis situations need to be studied in their locale with different methods. Drawing on disaster studies research, this book aims to stimulate a broad, multidisciplinary debate on how complex communication is in cascading crises and on the role translation can play to facilitate communication.Translation in Cascading Crises is a key resource for students and researchers of Translation and Interpreting Studies, Humanitarian Studies, and Disaster Studies.Trade Review"This comprehensive and much-needed volume brings together a variety of experts to discuss the relation between translation and crises from diverse approaches and perspectives. A must read for anyone with an interest in the role language, communication, interpreting and translation studies can play in situation of crisis, in disaster management, in risk mitigation and reduction and, ultimately, in saving lives."Marc Orlando, Monash University, AustraliaTable of ContentsContentsList of FiguresList of TablesList of ContributorsAcknowledgementsChapter 1 Cascading Crises: Translation as Risk Reduction Federico M. Federici and Sharon O’Brien Part 1: Sample Crisis SettingsChapter 2 Crisis Translation in Yemen: Needs and Challenges of Volunteer Translators and Interpreters Khaled Al-ShehariChapter 3 Police Communication across Languages in Crisis Situations: Human Trafficking Investigations in the UK Joanna DruganChapter 4 Cascading Effects: Mediating the Unutterable Sufferance of Gender-based Violence in Migratory Flows Denise FilmerPart 2: Instruments and SupportChapter 5 Accessibility of Multilingual Information in Cascading Crises Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez and Jésus Torres-del-ReyChapter 6 Mapping Translation Technology and the Multilingual Needs of NGOs along the Aid Chain Celia Rico PérezChapter 7 Ethical Considerations on the Use of Machine Translation and Crowdsourcing in Cascading Crises Carla Parra Escartín and Helena Moniz Chapter 8 Management and Training of Linguistic Volunteers: A Case Study of Translation at Cochrane Germany Patrick Cadwell, Claudia Bollig, and Juliane RiedPart 3: Methods and DataChapter 9 Integrating Language Needs in Disaster Research and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management through Participatory Methods Jake Rom D. CadagChapter 10 Human Factors in Risk Communication: Exploring Pilot-Controller ‘Communication Awareness’ Bettina BajajChapter 11 Intralingual Translation and Cascading Crises: Evaluating the Impact of Semi-Automation on the Readability and Comprehensibility of Health Content Alessandra RossettiIndex

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Book SynopsisIn pursuit of lifestyle change, affordable property, and proximity to nature, people from all walks of life are moving to the wildland-urban interface. Tragic wildfires and a predicted increase in high fire danger weather with climate change have triggered concern for the safety of such amenity-led migrants in wildfire-prone landscapes. This book examines wildfire awareness and preparedness amongst women, men, households, communities and agencies at the interface between city and beyond. It does so through an examination of two regions where wildfires are common and disastrous, and where how to deal with them is a major political issue: southeast Australia and the west coast United States. It follows women's and men's stories of surviving, fighting, evacuating, living and working with wildfire to reveal the intimate inner workings of wildfire response and especially the culturally and historically distinct gender relations that underpin wildfire resilience. Wildfire iTable of Contents1. Between Three Fires 2. The Gendered Dimensions of Wildfire 3. Wildfire and Dilemmas of Everyday Life 4. Wildfire, Resilience and Sense of Belonging 5. Indigenous Fire Knowledge Retention: Spatial, Temporal, Gendered 6. Engaging Women with Bushfire Safety Issues 7. Toeing the Line or Breaking the Glass Ceiling 8. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisLike many British Columbians in2017, Claudia Cornwall found herself glued to the news about the disastrous wildfires across the province. Her worry was personal: her cabin at Sheridan Lake had been in the family for sixty years and was now in danger of destruction.Cornwall, a long-time writer, was stricken not just by her own experience, but by the many moving stories she came across about the firesso she began collecting them. She met with people from the communities of Sheridan Lake, Ashcroft, Cache Creek,16Mile House, Lac La Hache, Quesnel, Williams Lake, Hanceville-Riske Creek and Clinton. She hoped to be a conduit for the voices she heardfor those who fought the fires raging around them, those who were evacuated and displaced, and those who could do nothing but watch as their homes burned. She conducted over fifty hours of interviews with ranchers, cottagers, Indigenous residents,RCMP officers, evacuees, store and resort owners, search and rescue volunteers, firefighters and local government officials.Presented inBritish Columbia in Flames are stories that illustrate the importance of community. During the2017wildfires, people looked after strangers who had no place to go. They shared information. They helped each other rescue and shelter animals. They kept stores open day and night to supply gas, food and comfort to evacuees. This memoir, at once journalistic and deeply personal, highlights the strength with whichBCcommunities can and will come together to face a terrifying force of nature.

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Book Synopsis"Frightening...Firestorm comes alive when Struzik discusses the work of offbeat scientists." --New York Times Book Review "Comprehensive and compelling." --Booklist "A powerful message." --Kirkus "Should be required reading." --Library Journal For two months in the spring of 2016, the world watched as wildfire ravaged the Canadian town of Fort McMurray. Firefighters named the fire "the Beast." It acted like a mythical animal, alive with destructive energy, and they hoped never to see anything like it again. Yet it's not a stretch to imagine we will all soon live in a world in which fires like the Beast are commonplace. A glance at international headlines shows a remarkable increase in higher temperatures, stronger winds, and drier lands- a trifecta for igniting wildfires like we've rarely seen before. This change is particularly noticeable in the northern forests of the United States and Canada. These forests require fire to maintain healthy ecosystems, but as the human population grows, and as changes in climate, animal and insect species, and disease cause further destabilization, wildfires have turned into a potentially uncontrollable threat to human lives and livelihoods. Our understanding of the role fire plays in healthy forests has come a long way in the past century. Despite this, we are not prepared to deal with an escalation of fire during periods of intense drought and shorter winters, earlier springs, potentially more lightning strikes and hotter summers. There is too much fuel on the ground, too many people and assets to protect, and no plan in place to deal with these challenges. In Firestorm, journalist Edward Struzik visits scorched earth from Alaska to Maine, and introduces the scientists, firefighters, and resource managers making the case for a radically different approach to managing wildfire in the 21st century. Wildfires can no longer be treated as avoidable events because the risk and dangers are becoming too great and costly. Struzik weaves a heart-pumping narrative of science, economics, politics, and human determination and points to the ways that we, and the wilder inhabitants of the forests around our cities and towns, might yet flourish in an age of growing megafires.

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Book SynopsisHave you accidentally ended up in the middle of a Disaster Zone? Yes? Well, do not panic! This book of top survival tips has everything you need to know about one of the world's most devastating disasters. Hold on tight... It is about to get dangerous!

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Book SynopsisFemke, her mother Trijn and her grandfather have very different ideas about how to run their family farm. Tensions between mother and daughter are growing; Femke wants to switch to sustainable growing principles, whilst her mother considers this an attack on tradition. To make matters worse, their home province of Groningen is experiencing a series of earthquakes caused by drilling for gas at a site close to their farm. While the cracks and splinters in their farmhouse increase, the authorities and the state-owned gas company refuse to offer the local farming community any help. In Shocked Earth, Saskia Goldschmidt investigates what it means to have your identity intensely entwined with your place of birth and your principles at odds with your closest kin. And how to keep standing when the world as you know it is slowly falling apart.Trade Review'Shocked Earth shows us the impact of natural disasters on people's lives. This is what literature can do.' Nieuwsweekend; 'Goldschmidt manages to portray the lives of farmers in great literary style, and with authentic vocabulary.' Het Parool; 'Goldschmidt writes eloquently... showing the way the North of the Netherlands is held captive by the gas sourcing business.' NRC; 'In order to be able to write Shocked Earth, Saskia Goldschmidt moved to a rural region ... worked on a dairy farm and spoke to its inhabitants. This effort pays off in this thorough novel with a lot of empathy, showing how the earthquakes ... forever change the lives of the people trying to keep this business going.' Dagblad van het Noorden; "Shocked Earth exquisitely captures the way our lives and identities are interwoven with the land we live on, and how its destruction will ultimately be our own. A powerful portrait of a family, an exploration of love and grief, it is perhaps most of all an essential call to action - I was both heartbroken and inspired." Helen Sedgwick; "A novel with great ambitions, which remains credible." Faithful; "Last weekend I read the book in one breath. How little did I know about the problems and life in the Groningen countryside ... I will definitely recommend this beautiful novel!" Ria van Halem, bookseller Boekaa Verkaaik

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Book SynopsisThis volume discusses the increasing occurrence of floods and tornadoes in Southern Africa over the last few years. The book discusses existing flood and tornado management protocols, indigenous approaches to mitigate disaster risk, urban and peri-urban flooding, tornado-induced flooding and windstorms, and the challenges and vulnerabilities associated with rural and transboundary floods. The book offers planning and recovery strategies to minimise impacts from these events through sustainable means. Such means include sustainable drainage systems, waste management in harbors and beaches, community engagement in flood-prone areas, and improved food security measures in urban poor households.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Contextualising the increasing risk of floods and tornadoes.- Chapter 2. Satellite-based approaches in the detection and monitoring of selected hydro-meteorological disasters.- Chapter 3. ICT readiness for flood risk reduction and management: Lessons from Eastern Cape Province’s Port St Johns municipality, South Africa.- Chapter 4. A reflection of hydrological and other emerging perspectives of Lake Kariba’s Operation Noah.- Chapter 5. Victoria Falls water flow regimes: A tale of two half-centuries.- Chapter 6. Partnerships in mitigating the impacts of floods in South Africa.- Chapter 7. Hotel management under increasing and more intense floods: A focus on The Centurion Hotel, South Africa.- Chapter 8. Rethinking harbours, beaches and urban estuaries waste management under climate-induced floods in South Africa.- Chapter 9. The need for effective storm water management to build flood resilient communities: A case of Port St Johns, South Africa.- Chapter 10. Impacts of cyclones Idai and Kenneth and the 2019 floods on the insurance sector in South Africa and Mozambique.- Chapter 11. Exploring the migration effects of cyclones and floods in Southern Africa: A focus on 2019 floods and cyclones Idai and Kenneth.- Chapter 12. Impact of floods on access to drinking water: A focus on 2019 floods in Magalasi Village in Chikwawa District, Malawi.- Chapter 13. Vulnerability of settlements to floods in South Africa: A focus on Port St Johns.- Chapter 14. Impacts of floods on livestock production in Port St Johns, South Africa.- Chapter 15. Characterisation and Analysis of Emerging Localised Severe Storms in Malawi: How Common are Tornadoes?.- Chapter 16. Characterisation and impacts of tornado-induced flooding and windstorms in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.- Chapter 17. Emerging Key Findings, Conclusions and Policy Recommendations.

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Book SynopsisFour years after Therese Greenwood and her husband moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta, their new community was shattered by one of the worst wildfires in Canadian history. As the flames approached, they had only minutes to pack, narrowly escaping a fire that would rage for weeks, burn more than 85,000 hectares and force 80,000 people to flee.Trade Review# 1 on Edmonton Non-Fiction Bestsellers list, April 3, 2019"One of the greatest treasures in life may be to understand both where we have come from and who we have come to be. It seems that Therese’s reflections gave her some of those insights. Perhaps reading and reflecting with her might do the same for us." -- Bob Trube"...as evacuation orders were imposed and as the highway out of town swelled with traffic... [Greenwood] gathered an assortment of objects, from deeply meaningful mementos to items that initially appeared more random... Each of the objects she has retained is carefully considered and contextualized over a number of chapters that fuse past and present, family memories and local histories.... In this surprisingly gripping and deeply moving account, Greenwood considers how we re-establish normalcy in the wake of profound loss." [Full review at https://canlit.ca/article/precarious-places/] -- Heidi Tiedemann Darroch * Canadian Literature *"Greenwood's book, What You Take With You, is an amalgamation of life lessons on the resilience needed to recover emotionally and mentally following the May 2016 [wildfire] disaster.... The book analyzes what Greenwood took from her home as authorities began ordering the evacuation of Fort McMurray. She had only 15 minutes to grab what she needed.... Greenwood said each object she took in the frenzy of evacuation had a subconscious and special meaning for her.... Each chapter of her book explains the life lesson tied to these objects and how Greenwood applied those lessons to the aftermath of the fire." [Full article at https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/book-recounting-2016-fort-mcmurray-wildfire-nominated-for-award-1.5096318] -- Sarah Williscraft * Fort McMurray Today *Table of ContentsPrologue 1 Before 2 The Go Bag 3 The Rolling Pin 4 The Plaster Saint 5 The Sleigh Bells 6 The Beating Heart 7 The Bible and the Bee Book 8 The Cat Photo 9 The Breda Needlepoint 10 The Flattop and The Dobro 11 The Wedding Mirror 12 The Quilt 13 The Award 14 After Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisNow in its second edition, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management has been completely updated to take account of new developments in the field. Using a hands-on approach grounded in relevant GIS and disaster management theory and practice, this textbook continues the tradition of the benchmark first edition, providing coverage of GIS fundamentals applied to disaster management. Real-life case studies demonstrate GIS concepts and their applicability to the full disaster management cycle. The learning-by-example approach helps readers see how GIS for disaster management operates at local, state, national, and international scales through government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and volunteer groups.New in the second edition: a chapter on allied technologies that includes remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), indoor navigation, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); thirteen new technTrade Review"I enjoyed the book immensely. The book provides a comprehensive discussion of using geospatial data sets, tools and techniques to address different phases of emergency management along with examples and implementation steps. The book can easily be used in the classroom or as a reference book by both novice professionals and experts." Bandana Kar, R & D Staff in the National Security Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory "We need spatial information more than ever to help plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This book does an outstanding job of laying the foundations and providing the contextual knowledge needed to leverage geospatial data and make maps that matter in crisis situations." Anthony C. Robinson, Department of Geography, Penn State University "Disasters--human and natural--make it painfully clear how relevant the geographic perspective is to our modern world. Dr Tomaszewski's book not only will equip its readers with theoretical foundations and practical skills to apply GIS workflows and tools to such diverse situations as wildfires, floods, and chemical spills, but will make strides in building a workforce that puts "spatial first" in its decision-making." Joseph Kerski, GISP, Esri and University of Denver Table of Contents1. A Survey of GIS for Disaster Management 2. Fundamentals of Geographic Information and Maps 3. Geographic Information Systems 4. Geographic Information Systems and Allied Technologies 5. Disaster Management and Geographic Information Systems 6. Geographic Information Systems and Disaster Planning and Preparedness 7. Geographic Information Systems and Disaster Response 8. Geographic Information Systems and Disaster Recovery 9. Geographic Information Systems and Disaster Mitigation 10. Special Topics, Future Technology, Professional Career Options and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Trends

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the growing role and importance of 'Protection Gap Entities' (PGEs). The authors use practical examples from different countries to explain how PGEs step in to maintain disaster insurance and how their work can, but does not always, improve financial and physical resilience to disaster.Trade ReviewAs the rising frequency, severity and variety of catastrophic loss events challenge the efficacy - and perhaps even the relevance - of the traditional insurance model, the authors identify and analyze a diverse set of promising but ad hoc collaborative programs for managing catastrophe risks. From this survey emerges a practical framework through which governments, the private sector, and impacted communities may constructively engage to develop holistic and sustainable solutions to some of today's most difficult-to-insure risks. * Jason Schupp, Founder & Managing Member, Center for Better Insurance *How can individuals, cities and societies insure against increasingly extreme disasters? Protection Gap Entities, as organizational innovations created between market and state, are an answer. This important and superbly clear book shows how PGEs aim to correct insurance market disequilibrium and to re-imagine insurability in a riskier world. Based on immersion in PGEs across the globe, the authors demonstrate the varied operational challenges they face as they try to save insurance from its own paradoxes. But this is much more than a book about insurance; its subject matter is urgent and existential. For this reason, it should be read widely by social scientists and policymakers * Michael Power, Professor of Accounting, London School of Economics and Political Science *Who pays for our increasing global disasters? This brilliantly researched book highlights how this complex problem depends on a fine-tuned balancing of paradoxical tensions. Anyone that wants to make more transparent the hidden realities of disaster responses, financial markets and the paradoxical tensions that inform them must read this book * Wendy Smith. Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management, University of Delaware *This timely book is essential reading for anybody with a stake in insurability at a time of intensifying natural disasters: from risk specialists to those interested in building resilient systems in the face of climate change, such as governments, development and humanitarian organizations. The way the authors discuss Protection Gap Entities (PGEs) via interlinked paradoxes is illuminating. Readers will learn to appreciate the fine balance on which insurance is built, encompassing questions of knowledge, responsibility, and market structure. I would use the authors' conceptual framework not only to discuss specialist topics around disaster insurability, but also to teach insurance fundamentals to diverse audiences, from technical experts to policymakers. * Andreas Tsanakas, Professor of Risk Management, City, University of London *Many have observed the limitations of private insurance when it comes to financial protection from disasters. When people face disasters without insurance, harm and heartache multiplies. With this book, we finally have the tools to understand why those limitations exist and the critical role played by Protection Gap Entities (PGEs) when those limitations cannot be overcome by the private sector alone. This book is essential reading; not only for what it teaches us about the complex landscape of insurance today, but also for the ways it pushes us to think creatively about how to build more sustainable and humane forms of social protection in the future. A timely, stimulating, major contribution. * Rebecca Elliott, London School of Economics and Political Science *The frequency and intensity of weather extremes is increasing due to climate change. Most affected regions are well advised to establish new and strengthen already existing disaster risk pooling arrangements. The book provides strong evidence for the effectiveness of Protection Gap Entities (PGEs) in helping close the disaster loss gap, not least as they comprehensively convene risk owners and often incentivise prevention and preparedness. A must read for decision makers aiming to strengthen disaster resilience in a comprehensive and sustainable fashion * David N. Bresch, Professor for Weather and Climate Risks, ETH Zurich / MeteoSwiss *This book is essential and riveting reading for policymakers and risk professionals interested in how we build financial and physical resilience to disasters. It provides a ground-breaking exposition of the vital role public-private partnerships (Protection Gap Entities - PGEs) play in covering insurance protection gaps. It provides an insightful tour of developed and developing insurance markets confronting disasters from earthquake, flood, cyclone, and drought to terrorism. Based on an unprecedented multi-stakeholder dataset from 17 PGEs providing disaster insurance in 49 countries, Paula and her co-authors explain why PGEs are established, how they evolve, and imagine what future role they can play in enabling insurability in the face of escalating risk. * Julian Enoizi, Global Head of Public Sector Practice, Guy Carpenter *In face of extreme weather, terrorist attacks, seismological disasters, financial collapse, and other calamities, how can we do disaster insurance well? This timely and deeply researched book, based on hundreds of interviews and hours of fieldwork across multiple countries, provides essential learning lessons for academics and practitioners alike. An outstanding contribution to unveiling the complexities of the disaster insurance system, it also illuminates crucially how cross-sector collaborations can be leveraged to bring about economic stability and greater equity. * Nina Bandelj, Chancellor's Professor, University of California, Irvine *This book reimagines disaster insurance at times where the world is facing compounding crises that can further widen the protection gap. As the climate and disaster risk finance and insurance landscape is quickly evolving, especially in emerging markets and developing economies, this book provides the reader with the right tools to understand how protection gap entities can help governments, firms and households access disaster insurance solutions and reduce the protection gap. * Olivier Mahul, Global Lead and Program Manager, Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Program, World Bank *Disaster Insurance Reimagined: Protection in a Time of Increasing Risk is a must-read book for all catastrophe insurance professionals and all others interested in the role insurance can play in dealing with the growing loss from both the rise in exposure and climate change. Clever and easy to read, this work provides framework, sets the issues at stake and makes explicit the underlying philosophy by which catastrophe insurance is provided in very different jurisdictions. * Francisco Espejo Gil, Consorcio de Compensacion de Seguros *Table of Contents1: Protection Gap Entities: Saving insurance from itself? 2: Paradoxes of origination: Between too little and too much knowledge 3: Shouldering the burden: Who controls the market and has responsibility for protection? 4: Problem solved? Between static remits and evolving environments 5: Limiting loss: Between financial and physical resilience 6: Reimagining disaster insurance: Towards a new equilibrium Appendix A: The disaster risk transfer process Appendix B: Methodology Glossary

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. Homeland Security: The Concept, the Organization 2. Historic Overview of the Terrorist Threat 3. Hazards 4. Governmental Homeland Security Structures 5. Intelligence Counterterrorism 6. Border Security, Immigration, and Customs Enforcement 7. Transportation Safety and Security 8. Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection 9. All-Hazards Emergency Response and Recovery 10. Mitigation, Prevention, and Preparedness 11. Communications 12. Science and Technology 13. The Future of Homeland Security

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPART 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Climate Change: A complex problem 2. The Role of Atmospheric Gases in Climate Change PART 2: TOOLS USED TO INVESTIGE AND PREDICT CLIMATE CHANGE 3. Climate Change through Earth's History 4. Numerical Modelling of the Global Climate and Carbon-cycle System PART 3: INDICATORS 5. Global Surface Temperatures and Climate Change 6. Sea Ice and Climate Change 7. Antarctic Sea Ice Changes and their Implications 8. Land Ice: indicator and integrator of Climate Change 9. Glaciers and Climate Change 10.Poleward Expansion of the Atmospheric Circulation and Climate Change 11. Rising Sea levels and Climate Change 12. Ocean Current Changes 13. Ocean Acidification and Climate Change 14. Permafrost and Climate Change 15. The Jet Stream and Climate Change 16. Extreme Weather and Climate Change 17. Bird Ecology and Climate Change 18. Insect Communities and Climate Change 19. Sea Life, Pelagic Ecosystems, and Climate Change 20. Changes in Coral Reef Ecosystems as a result of Climate Change 21. Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change 22. Intertidal Indicators of Climate and Global Change 23. Lichens and Climate Change 24. Plant Pathogens as Indicators of Climate Change 25. Invasive Plants and Climate Change 26. Biological Diversity and Climate Change 27.The Role of Forests in the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change PART 4: OTHER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO CLIMATE CHANGE 28. The Variation of the Earth’s Movements (orbital, tilt and precession) and Climate Change 29. The Role of Volcanic Activity in Climate and Global Change 30. Atmospheric Aerosols and their Role in Climate Change 31. Climate Change and Agriculture 32. Widespread surface solar radiation changes and their effects on the Climate: dimming and brightening 33. Space Weather and Cosmic Ray effects and Climate Change PART 5: SOCIETAL ASPECTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE 34. Engineering Aspects of Climate Change 35. Societal Adaptation to Climate Change

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Book SynopsisAn essential text for todayâs emerging professionals and higher education community, the third edition of Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness provides accessible and actionable strategies to create safer, more resilient communities. Known and valued for its balanced approach, Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, presenting the major principles involved in preparing for and mitigating the impacts of hazards in emergency management. Real-world examples of different tools and techniques allow for the application of knowledge and skills.This new edition includes: Updates to case studies and sidebars with recent disasters and mitigation efforts, including major hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Summary of the National Flood Insurance Program, including how insurance rates are determined, descriptions of flood maps, and strategies for communities to help reduce premiums for residents. Overview of the ways that climate change is affecting disasters and the tools that emergency managers can use to plan for an uncertain future. Best practices in communication with the public, including models for effective use of social media, behavioral science techniques to communicate information about risk and preparedness actions, and ways to facilitate behavior change to increase the publicâs level of preparedness. Actionable information to help emergency managers and planners develop and implement plans, policies, and programs to reduce risk in their communities. Updated in-text learning aids, including sidebars, case studies, goals and outcomes, key terms, summary questions and critical thinking exercises for students. An eResource featuring new supplemental materials to assist instructors with course designs. Supplements include PowerPoint slides, tests, instructor lecture notes and learning objectives, key terms and a course syllabus. Table of ContentsChapter 1: Hazards and Disasters Chapter 2: Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation, and Climate Change Part 1 Introduction Chapter 3: Meteorological and Hydrological Hazards: Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, Floods, Drought, Wildfire, Tornadoes, Severe Winter Weather, and Extreme Heat Chapter 4: Geological Hazards: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes, Landslides, Coastal Erosion, and Land Subsidence Chapter 5: Human-Made Hazards: Terrorism, Civil Unrest and Technological Hazards Part 2 Introduction Chapter 6: Role of the Federal Government in Disaster Management Chapter 7: Mitigating Hazards at the State Level Chapter 8: Local Government Powers: Building Resilience from the Ground Up Chapter 9: Community Resilience and the Private Sector Part 3 Introduction Chapter 10: Risk Assessment: Identifying Hazards and Vulnerability Chapter 11: Preparedness Activities: Planning to Be Ready When Disaster Hits Chapter 12: Hazard Mitigation Planning: Creating Strategies to Reduce Vulnerability Part 4 Introduction Chapter 13: Disaster Resilience: Living With Our Environment

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Book SynopsisA definitive resource, the Introduction to Emergency Management and Disaster Science presents the essentials to better understand and manage disasters. The third edition of this popular text has been revised and updated to provide a substantively enriched and evidence-based guide for students and emerging professionals. The new emphasis on disaster science places it at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field. This third edition offers important updates, including: Newly commissioned insights from former students and professional colleagues involved with emergency management practice and disaster science; international policies, programs, and practices; and socially vulnerable populations. Significantly enriched content and coverage of new disasters and recent research, particularly the worldwide implications of climate change and pandemics. Pedagogical features like chapter objectives, key terms and definitions, discussion points and resources.Table of ContentsPart 1: The Disciplines of Emergency Management and Disaster Science 1. History and Current Status of Emergency Management and Disaster Science 2. Emergency Management Careers 3. Key Concepts, Definitions, and Perspectives 4. Advancing Emergency Management through Disaster Science Part 2: Comprehensive Emergency Management 5. Preparedness 6. Planning 7. Response 8. Recovery 9. Mitigation Part 3: Working and Volunteering in Emergency Management 10. Public Private Partnerships 11. International Humanitarian Disaster Management 12. The Next Generation of Emergency Managers and Disaster Scientists

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