Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Crown Archetype (2008), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 288 pages
Description
Nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims? Will our upbringing, our gender, our personality--anything we've ever learned, thought, or dreamed of--ultimately matter? Journalist Amanda Ripley set out to discover what lies beyond fear and speculation, retracing the human response to some of history's epic disasters. She comes back with wisdom about the surprising humanity of crowds, the elegance of the brain's fear circuits, and the stunning inadequacy of many of our evolutionary responses. Most unexpectedly, she discovers the brain's ability to do much, much better, with just a little help.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member yoyogod
This isn't the sort of book I usually read. It's nonfiction, and I mostly read fantasy and horror, with some occasional science fiction. The nonfiction I do read usually falls under the Forteana category, or odd bits of history, or general weirdness. This is a book about why people act the wasy
Ripley basically boils it all down to one thing: evolution. When people freeze up, it's because freezing up can protct you from some predators. When you act heroic, it's because that can help you get laid. When you help others, it's because we're communal creatures.Apparently, what people don't actually do (very often) is panic, which is surprising.
She also details the various stages people go through in disasters and illustrates them with stories of actual disasters. She interviews 9-11 surviors, Virginia Tech survivors, surviors of fires, floods, earthqukes, etc. There's not much in the way of practical advice, because you can't really know what how you'll act in a disaster until you've been in one. You can get certain types of training that will help--such as that given to police, firefighters, the military, etc.--but even that isn't a guarantee.
This is an interesting book though, and it's just the sort of thing you might want to read if you'd like to know more about disasters and how to survibe them.
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they do in disasters.Ripley basically boils it all down to one thing: evolution. When people freeze up, it's because freezing up can protct you from some predators. When you act heroic, it's because that can help you get laid. When you help others, it's because we're communal creatures.Apparently, what people don't actually do (very often) is panic, which is surprising.
She also details the various stages people go through in disasters and illustrates them with stories of actual disasters. She interviews 9-11 surviors, Virginia Tech survivors, surviors of fires, floods, earthqukes, etc. There's not much in the way of practical advice, because you can't really know what how you'll act in a disaster until you've been in one. You can get certain types of training that will help--such as that given to police, firefighters, the military, etc.--but even that isn't a guarantee.
This is an interesting book though, and it's just the sort of thing you might want to read if you'd like to know more about disasters and how to survibe them.
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LibraryThing member schatzi
This was definitely an interesting read. The author interviewed numerous survivors of various disasters (school shootings, fires, plane crashes, boats sinking, the WTC bombing and 9/11, etc) in an effort to determine how people react to tragedies and how those reactions can help people survive.
The
Altogether, I found this book to be an extremely interesting look at human behaviour in tragedies. Overwhelmingly, people seem to be polite and courteous, even if it puts them in danger. There isn't a lot when it comes to practical advice on survival (the author argues that much of our survival instinct is at least partially hardwired), but the author does recommend preparing for disasters you are likely to encounter in your area and drilling yourself frequently on what you would do in such a situation. People who had a plan in place seemed to fare much better than those who did not.
The
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author states that each of us cycle through a survival arc: first is denial ("this can't be happening!") to deliberation ("I don't know what to do; what should I do?") to the decisive moment ("I am doing this."). Along the way, people do things that are puzzling (survivors often try to gather things to take with them, even when they should be fleeing for their lives) to troubling (punching people, taking someone's life jacket from them, etc) to difficult to understand (freezing in place even though you know you should be moving), and the author tries to explain these as maladaptive uses of evolutionary behaviour (freezing, for example, can help you against certain predators, but doesn't help you when you're in a burning building). Altogether, I found this book to be an extremely interesting look at human behaviour in tragedies. Overwhelmingly, people seem to be polite and courteous, even if it puts them in danger. There isn't a lot when it comes to practical advice on survival (the author argues that much of our survival instinct is at least partially hardwired), but the author does recommend preparing for disasters you are likely to encounter in your area and drilling yourself frequently on what you would do in such a situation. People who had a plan in place seemed to fare much better than those who did not.
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LibraryThing member dele2451
An interesting compilation of research regarding modern disasters, both natural and man-made, and the sometimes surprising responses human beings have to them. The author interviews survivors of all ages in multiple countries, reviews official reports, and scours video and news accounts of
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catastrophies ranging from airline crashes to tsunamis and gives specific ideas everyday citizens can use to improve their likelihood of surviving perils when confronted with one (or more) of them. There's also enlightening coverage of related topics including the common fallacy of mass public panic and the modern-day problems associated with a litigious society. Ironically "Nervous Nellies" may shy away from The Unthinkable based on the title alone, but they stand the most to gain from Ripley's well-researched insights. Far from being a doomsday publication, this is a testament to the impact one human being can make during a time of crisis. An important book that is highly relevant in today's world. Recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
The author looks at biological and sociological explanations for the different ways people react to emergencies and disasters. Unfortunately, her advice is that you can't exactly predict how you will act but the best approach is to repeatedly practice the actions you will need to take in certain
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situations. But how do you effectively simulate a fire? a robbery? a tornado? Still, the book provides interesting insight into every type of response from panic, to playing dead, to heroism via real life stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Asata
Never read nonfiction? This book might be the one that changes your mind. Difficult to put down, this book combines case studies (aka true stories) with fascinating new research on disasters and human behavior. Drawing from airplane crashes, stampedes, sinkings, fires, and more, Ripley takes us
Elia Zedeno, survivor of both the 1993 and 9/11 Twin Tower attacks, recounts her evacuations, telling the unbelievable story of the tremendous lurch when the first plane hit, descending 73 floors, fighting a temporary loss of vision, and suffocating mouthfuls of ash and dust.
Some of the most surprising new information comes from the blood work done on Special Forces. These individuals have drastically different chemical results—but the question remains: did their experiences change their blood chemistry or did their blood chemistry change their experiences? Only more studies will tell us, if we really want to know.
The hero of this book is Rick Rescorla, security head for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, the largest tenant of the Twin Towers. A former marine who had lived through the 1993 Trade Center bombing, Rescorla trained all the employees relentlessly in unscheduled emergency evacuation drills, even the high level bankers and executives. On the day, Rescorla successfully evacuated all but 13 employees—including himself and four other security officers. His body has never been found. Read about him, remember, and prepare.
If you don’t have time to read the entire book, at least skim it and learn what you can expect from yourself and others, learn what you can do to improve your chances in any situation. This is one book I am really glad I read.
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through the human reaction processes we all experience, explaining them and showing ways we can cope and improve our chances in the event of a disaster. Elia Zedeno, survivor of both the 1993 and 9/11 Twin Tower attacks, recounts her evacuations, telling the unbelievable story of the tremendous lurch when the first plane hit, descending 73 floors, fighting a temporary loss of vision, and suffocating mouthfuls of ash and dust.
Some of the most surprising new information comes from the blood work done on Special Forces. These individuals have drastically different chemical results—but the question remains: did their experiences change their blood chemistry or did their blood chemistry change their experiences? Only more studies will tell us, if we really want to know.
The hero of this book is Rick Rescorla, security head for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, the largest tenant of the Twin Towers. A former marine who had lived through the 1993 Trade Center bombing, Rescorla trained all the employees relentlessly in unscheduled emergency evacuation drills, even the high level bankers and executives. On the day, Rescorla successfully evacuated all but 13 employees—including himself and four other security officers. His body has never been found. Read about him, remember, and prepare.
If you don’t have time to read the entire book, at least skim it and learn what you can expect from yourself and others, learn what you can do to improve your chances in any situation. This is one book I am really glad I read.
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LibraryThing member Whitaknee
An amazing must read. Aside from being hugely interesting and incredibly well written this book gives amazing insight on how and why people react in disasters, information that could one day save your life.
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
What would you do when disaster strikes? Well, from this book yous hould know why people do what they do.... Why there are panic (ore less than everybody think), heroes and why most people simply do nothing at all.... An interesting insight into the psychology of human brains when everything turns
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to bad..... Show Less
LibraryThing member lindap69
This should be a must read for everyone as we are all potential victims of disasters both natural and man-made. It also will make me laugh less and pay attention more at the next fire drill.
LibraryThing member sylliu
An examination of the survivors of recent and past disasters - from 9/11 to plane crashes to hostage crises and tsunamis - and the common themes in their reactions, resilience, preparation, and other factors that led to their survival where others around them perished. A really interesting read
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that also gave me some take aways for being prepared in the future: preparation (e.g.fire drills, reading the airplane brochures, etc). Show Less
LibraryThing member fnielsen
Ripley's look on disaster behavior - both from the individual and group point of view - makes an original topic and librarians seems to have a hard time categorizing the book: Borders put it under 'hiking and camping', the publisher under 'self-help'. I do not agree with all her interpretations:
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Neuroimaging research is cited too uncritically without a discussion on the inherent methodological problems in this kind of science, crowd crushing is not necessarily a problem associated with panic: At the Roskilde Festival Pearl Jam deaths there were no crowd panic - as far as I know; and crawling over the seats in airplane disasters seems to be frowned upon. At times her writing style is a bit to 'journalistic' for my tast, but overall she defines and covers her area well, - an area that seems to have be thinly covered before, e.g., few seems to have written about hero behavior. Show Less
LibraryThing member KimMeyer
This book is *fascinating*. Exploring how and why we do what we do when disaster strikes, from terrorist bombings to hurricanes to car crashes, The Unthinkable was so interesting! We worry about unlikely worst case scenarios (plane crashes) while failing to prepare for the everyday possibilities
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that cause harm far more often (house fires, heart disease). The author talks about how what we do in an emergency is often illogical and unhelpful and how to be prepared for the unexpected. There are definitely some practical tips and experiences to learn from here, but reading about our "disaster personality" is just as compelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member jpsnow
When the boat begins to sink or the floor begins to shake, does anything beyond random luck decide who lives and who doesn’t? Ripley tells the human story and the data story to engage the reader and help them be ready. Genetics and pre-conditioning certainly play a role, but there are also
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personal planning and formal training steps we can all take to be more prepared. The positive outcomes including improving our odds as well as making us less stressed before and especially after the moment of truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
adult nonfiction. Super interesting, but also kind of long. I never actually finished this audiobook but would recommend.
LibraryThing member creighley
Discover how human beings react to danger and what makes the difference between life and death.
LibraryThing member econley123
Fantastic writer. I like all of Amanda's works. This book influenced me while I was writing my own book. If you have an interest in how people respond during disasters, and what drives their behaviors and motivation, this book is worth a read.
LibraryThing member hollysfollies
a good YA book .
LibraryThing member beentsy
Very interesting book looking at who survives disasters/extreme situations and why they survive. Not a dry read at all, bits of humour and a very human viewpoint. Oh, and I really hope I have a decent sized hippocampus. It seems like it might be important.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
288 p.; 6.36 x 1.04 inches
ISBN
0307352897 / 9780307352897