Description
Book SynopsisExamining twenty years of disasters from 9/11 to COVID-19, Jeff Schlegelmilch and Ellen Carlin show how flawed incentive structures make the world more vulnerable when catastrophe strikes.
Trade ReviewAt this critical crossroads in human history, Schlegelmilch and Carlin expose the cracks in how we prepare and respond to disasters and call on us to develop and execute strategies for achieving a more sustainable and resilient future. -- Shay Bahramirad, senior vice president of Engineering, Asset Management, and Capital Program, LUMA Energy, and president-elect of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society
This critical analysis offers fresh insight into the ways that the very structures we rely on to keep us safe from disasters are falling short. In exploring disincentives for readiness within and among sectors and the vulnerabilities they enable, the authors also provide a path forward and a reason to believe that a more resilient future is possible. -- Tom Daschle, commissioner, Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense and former Senate majority leader
A critical examination of recent events and our capacity to prepare and respond to them. With this work, the authors review the key drivers of disaster infrastructure, and the incentives that sustain them. As we reflect on the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and observe the landscape ahead, this book is a valuable resource. -- Nicolette Louissaint, senior vice president of policy, Healthcare Distribution Alliance
This is a true ‘must read’ for anyone interested in how we’ve managed large-scale disasters since the 9/11 attacks. Chronicling the evolution of key policies and protocols while still being an accessible and compelling story, it is an essential guide for professionals, students, and anyone interested in the safety and security of our world in the years to come. -- Irwin Redlener, MD, founding director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University
This book is an essential read to better understand why different sectors respond the way they do, and how that sets the stage for our own preparedness planning for surviving disasters. -- Les Stroud, survival expert and award-winning filmmaker and producer
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. A Recent History of Disasters: Events, Trends and Organizational Responses1. The Birth of the Modern Era of U.S. Disaster Management and Its Global Implications (2001)
2. A Pandemic Warning, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricane Katrina, and a Bird Flu (2002–2007)
3. An Influenza Pandemic, Earthquake in Haiti, Fukushima Disaster, and Superstorm Sandy (2008–2012)
4. Ebola, Hurricanes, Wildfires, and a Pandemic for the Ages (2013–2021)
Part II. How Organizations Respond to Disasters and Why They Behave That Way5. Disaster Politics
6. Disaster Markets and the Private Sector
7. Disaster Nonprofits
8. Disaster Academics
Part III. In Search of Disaster Resilience9. Humans Are Bad at Risk, and Even Worse with Uncertainty
10. Reimagining the Model
Notes
Bibliography
Index
