Subjects:  1. Disaster relief    2. Disasters & Disaster Relief    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - General    6. United States    7. Aid & relief programmes    8. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (9)

Alaskan Melodrama in the Style of Reader's Digest
I think reading any work should teach you something, and tales of wilderness incidents should not simply be armchair rubbernecking. This book is a collection of true incidents involving sportsman, backcountry travelers, and bush pilots. Their misfortunes could have been models for preventing readers from finding themselves in similar situations. Kaniut misses this opportunity. Instead of an analysis of the actions that saved the subjects (or cost them their lives), most stories are just circular and pointless recollections of how scary it was having a bear drag you around/being submerged in freezing water/crashing a plane in the backcountry, etc. According to this book, surviving these incidents simply requires some really hard praying, but reaffirms one's love of life and/or faith in god. It's akin to seeing dozens of people pulled from a wrecked plane and saying "WOW, what a miracle!!" while ignoring what the pilot did in the last seconds, recognizing the crew for an efficient evacuation, and acknowledging the skill and training of the ground emergency response crews. Kaniut would relate being mauled by a bear, the conclusion being that this was a terrible attack by a viscous animal, but god smiled and saved the day. In contrast, an NGS story I read after Danger Stalks about several bear attacks on hunters taught me (if I was inclined) how not to handle kills and seasonal factors that could emerge in the future that would make bears more aggressive, all the while infusing the human emotional element of these attacks. A serious missed opportunity is analyzing bush pilots' incidents. This book could have served as an excellent resource for this otherwise dry and difficult to find info (you can read FAA/NASA reports, but they often lack analysis, can be hard to sort through, and often simply blame "pilot error leading to..."); but the reader will have to find their own lessons in the aircraft incidents, if Kaniut provided enough detail between the sermons and anecdotes. Thus distilled, Danger Stalks is either just reflective of the human fascination with other's bad luck or a fluffy triumph of the human spirit book.

Pass on "Danger stalks the Land..."
First of all, let me just say that I read a lot of non-fiction books about adventure (Jon Krakauer's books, Spike Walker's "Working on the Edge", Greg Child, etc.). I found this book to be boring and uninspiring. The problem is this:
OK but spare us the ellipses . . . please
I really enjoyed many of the stories that Mr. Kanuit wrote.I only have two complaints:
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Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Alaska    4. Escapes    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. General    7. Natural Disasters    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Outdoor Survival Techniques    11. Survival after airplane accide    12. Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc.    13. United States - Pacific - Alaska    14. Active outdoor pursuits    15. Environmental impact of natural disasters & phenomena    16. Social impact of disasters   

Subjects:  1. Crisis intervention (Mental health services)    2. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    3. Earthquakes & Volcanoes    4. Emotions    5. General    6. Post-traumatic stress disorder    7. Prevention    8. Psychology    9. Psychotherapy - General    10. Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic    11. therapy    12. Psychotherapy   

Subjects:  1. Disaster Relief Services    2. Disaster relief    3. Emergency management    4. Florida    5. Human Services    6. Hurricane Andrew, 1992    7. Miami-Dade County    8. Natural Disasters    9. Social Science    10. Social Situations And Conditions    11. Sociology    12. Sociology - General    13. Anthropology    14. Gender studies    15. Science / Geography    16. Social impact of disasters    17. USA   

Reviews (2)

ESSENTIAL FOR ANY TRAIN BUFF
Peter Semmen's book gives accounts of nearly every train wreck of the Twentieth Century up to 1990.He also includessections on wartime disasters and boiler explosions.How much of this one reads will depend on one's interest, but it is valuable enough as a reference tool alone.I agree with the author that too much time is spent looking for people to punish following a disaster.It is the systems that need reform, usually not the engineers.

The best reference which covers worldwide rail accidents
This book is perhaps the only one of its kind; it gives details of allmajor railroad disasters over the world from 1900 to the early 1990s.Theauthor has attempted to cover all accidents with 20 or more deaths in thespecified period. Well documented and has many interesting photographs.Recommended to all with an interest in railroad history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. History    3. History: World    4. Railroads    5. Railroads - General    6. Safety    7. Transportation   

Reviews (1)

Yes it can happen to you!
A superbly practical and comprehensive guide - cogent and succinct but thorough. Having just gone through an office disaster similar to worked examples and real life situations presented in the book, incurring tens of thousands of dollars of damages and subsequent insurance claims, I can highly recommend this book as a must read for prevention purposes and a user-friendly guide for when it happens to you. I never thought I would need it, and was so grateful to have a copy on hand to reassure my decision-making in working through all the clean-up afterwards. It is an excellent resource not only for small businesses, but also for any office situation - non-profits, community groups, churches, synagogues etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Managerial    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Disaster Relief Services    6. Emergency management    7. Human Services    8. Planning    9. Small Business - General    10. Small Business Management    11. Small business    12. Strategic Planning    13. Business & Economics / Accounting / Management    14. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    15. Business & Economics-Accounting - Managerial    16. Business & Economics-Small Business - General    17. Finance & Accounting    18. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

Good Mitigation Textbook
I found this book provides a very good overview of natural hazards mitigation.It gives practitioners research information they can use when tasked to build mitigation programs for their communities.Bridging this communication gap between practitioners and researcher has long been a mission of mine.This book is the designated textbook for a mitigation class I teach. The section on Preparedness, Response and Recovery provided a very good assessment of how organizations approach disaster management.I recommend this book for any disaster practictioner's library.

Great book for disaster researchers
This is the follow up assessment for Gilbert White's 1975 Natural Hazards assessment.It discusses where the US is currently in regards to hazards and how to address them in a number of specific areas including mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, vulnerability and many other topics.I would strongly encourage reading it whether you areonly interested in disasters or a full time researcher. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Disaster relief    2. Emergency management    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Hazardous geographic environme    7. Natural Disasters    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. United States    11. Emergency services    12. Environmental impact of natural disasters & phenomena    13. Social groups & communities    14. Social impact of disasters    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Chemical Engineering Safety    2. Chemical plants    3. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    4. Industrial Health & Safety    5. Relief valves    6. Safety measures    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Biochemical Engineering    11. Emergency services    12. Social impact of disasters    13. Technology / Industrial Health & Safety   

Subjects:  1. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    2. Dogs - Breeds - Working & Herding Dogs    3. Dogs - General    4. Pets    5. Rescue dogs    6. Search dogs    7. Dogs    8. Pets / Dogs / General   

Reviews (5)

Perfect forthe classroom, as well as On-The-Ropes...
Tom Vines is the training officer at Carbon County Sheriff's Search and Rescue in Red Lodge, Montana. Steve Hudson is President of Pigeon Mountain Industries, Inc., and Deputy Director, Walker County Emergency Management in Lafayette, Georgia. Together these two experts have created an instructional text that can be read profitably by anyone, whether a beginner or an experienced rope jockey. Every chapter is fully illustrated, teaching skills step-by-step in an instructional style that works in the classroom as well as on the side of a cliff. Quizzes at the end of each chapter help hone your skills, and answers, provided at the back of the book, allow you to check your knowledge.

GREAT INSTRUCTION
This book is a great one for those who are interested in persuing high/steep angle rescue.It serves as an excellent guide and is illustrated with easy to understand pictures and comments.I would recommend this book to anyone that is or will be a student or become involved in any techinical rescue team/situation.

Lots of good info!!
This is a great book for somebody already involved in rescue work wanting to go the next step.It has lots of great info and good pictures.It takes some background knowledge to go through it with ease but in the case that you do not have that background it walks you through everything step by step.Under no circumstances does this book take the place of the instructor but it does make a great addition to the class.I highly suggest this book for anybody who is going to actively participate in high angle rescue work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Allied Health Services - Emergency Medical Services    2. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    3. General    4. Medical    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Mountaineering    7. Ambulance & rescue services    8. First aid & paramedical services    9. Medical / Allied Health Services / Emergency Medical Services   

Reviews (1)

A short review of"At risk : natural hazards"
The four authors of "At Risk, natural hazards, people's vulnerability, and disasters" (three from the UK, one from USA, active in the field of social and development studies) claim that natural disasters are not only caused by the natural environment, but also (or maybe even more) by the social, political and economic environment. It is shown throughout the book when they concentrate on the various hazard types: floods, coastal storms, earthquakes, landslides, vulcanoes, biological hazards and famine. They consistently use a flow diagram describing the framework of the root causes, dynamic pressures, unsafe conditions(on the one side), the hazard (on the other side), and the disaster (in the middle).
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Environmental Science    3. Natural disasters    4. Nature    5. Sociology    6. Earth Sciences    7. Environmental impact of natural disasters & phenomena    8. Science / Environmental Science    9. Social impact of disasters    10. Social impact of environmental issues   

Subjects:  1. Crisis management    2. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    3. Emergency Medicine    4. Emergency management    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Internal security    7. Medical    8. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    9. Politics - Current Events    10. United States    11. Health systems & services   

Subjects:  1. Administration - General    2. Crisis intervention (Mental he    3. Crisis intervention (Mental health services)    4. Education    5. Education & Training    6. Education / Teaching    7. Educational Psychology    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Psychology    10. School crisis management    11. School psychology    12. United States    13. Local government    14. Organization & management of education    15. Psychology & Psychiatry / Education & Training    16. Schools    17. Social impact of disasters    18. Violence in society   

Reviews (2)

Sociological analysis of catastrophic event management
In this remarkable concise and readable booklet, Dr Clarke has one point which seems rather obvious in retrospect (as do many lucid observations: Organizations, when faced with controlling uncontrollable events, issuefantasy documents that solve problems that look similar to the problem athand, but really aren't, upon closer inspection. These documents arerhetorical proclamations and serve the organization as such (stakingknowledge domains, justifying expenditures, hidden agendas), communicationbetween organizations(state, local, federal) and societal purposes(reassurance of populace). In Hungarian, this procedure is calledconstructing a popanz, a strawman argument.You will find no math in thisbook, no models, but plenty of socio-dynamic analysis. I enjoyed it verymuch ( except maybe for the somewhat non-standard definition of risk anduncertainty).

Great Insight!
I think this book hits the nail right on the head. Dr. Clarke captures the essence of what so many fail to do and yet he does it with such insight and remarkable understanding from every conceivable angle. Highly recommendedreading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Disasters & Disaster Relief    2. Emergency management    3. Preparedness    4. Public Policy - General    5. Risk management    6. Social Science    7. Social aspects    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. Emergency services    11. Social Science / Disasters & Disaster Relief    12. Social impact of disasters   

Reviews (3)

Cynical, But Thought Provoking
When a natural disaster occurs, the focus of the tragedy is a pity for the victims and hope that the survivors can pick up the scraps to continue their lives. While some may attach some blame to Mother Nature, or even God, author Ted Steinberg would argue a different perspective. In his book Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America he wrote of numerous disasters that took place in United States history and attempted to show that they are "complex interactions between the natural world and social and economic forces," as opposed to being natural.
from the city of burning rivers
This is a brilliant book -- well-researched, incisive, and passionate. It should inspire all of us to think more deeply and critically about how social oppression manifests itself in the ecosystem.

Essay on Mismanagement of Disaster
Ted Steinberg's book, Acts of God, is an interesting look at the handling of natural disasters in America. It shows how natural disasters may arrive from nature (as flood, hurricane, earthquake, drought, etc.) but it is the social and cultural context of American that truly turns these phenomena into disasters.This can result from such things lack of warning due to budget cuts, downplaying the effects of the disaster in order to support boosterism, or controlling relief efforts in way that hurts the poor, elderly or minorities.The unusually high proportion of death and loss of property of people in mobile homes is not, in fact,due to random, natural acts or some perverse vendetta against by natural forces against mobile homes but, instead, by purposeful acts by government and capitilists.These arguments are presented forcefully using examples from throughout American history.On occasion, particulary the chapter on weather control, the arguments can become a little muddied.It is, nevertheless, a fairly powerful indictment of the current system that will result in more disasters than it will prevent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    2. Disaster relief    3. Emergency management    4. History    5. History: American    6. Natural Disasters    7. Politics / Current Events    8. United States    9. United States - 20th Century    10. United States - General    11. Environmental impact of natural disasters & phenomena    12. History / United States / General    13. History, American    14. Social impact of disasters    15. USA   

Reviews (51)

Well-written, so one can focus on the controversy!
Bruce's book is well-written and describes the geological processes involved in a clear and simple fashion. One-sided and questionable research methods
I was on Galeras volcano 10 years ago when it erupted. Like most of the other volcanologists at the Pasto, Colombia meeting to study Galeras I did not go into the crater, but was looking at deposits on the outer flanks when the eruption occurred. Stanley Williams had stressed the danger of going inside, and only those making data collections went with him into the crater. The volcano eruptions at Nevado del Ruiz and Galeras.
There are two stories in this book.The first is about the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano that resulted in the deaths of 23,000 people.The second is the death of six scientists and three Columbians in the Galeras eruption.The scientists killed were led by Stan Williams, who also substained very serious injuries.The three Columbians were local hikers in the area.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Colombia    3. Eruption, 1985    4. General    5. History    6. Lahars    7. Latin America - General    8. Natural Disasters    9. Nature    10. Ruiz, Nevado del (Colombia)    11. Ruiz, Nevado del, Region    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Volcanism    14. Volcanoes    15. Social impact of disasters    16. True Stories    17. Vulcanology & seismology    18. Columbian    19. Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia)    20. Galeras Volcano (Colombia)    21. Eruption, 1993    22. South America   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Chicago    3. Chicago (Ill.)    4. Disasters    5. General    6. Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871    7. Haymarket Square Riot, Chicago, Ill., 1886    8. History    9. Illinois    10. Social Science    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. Social Science / General    15. Social impact of disasters    16. USA    17. Urban communities   

Subjects:  1. Disaster films    2. Film & Video - General    3. History and criticism    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Psychic trauma in literature    8. Psychic trauma in motion pictu    9. Psychic trauma in motion pictures    10. Public Policy - Cultural Policy    11. Terrorism in motion pictures    12. Literary studies: general    13. Media studies    14. Social impact of disasters   

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Disaster relief    3. Disasters & Disaster Relief    4. Effect of environment on    5. General    6. Human beings    7. Natural disasters    8. Reference    9. Sociology    10. Development studies    11. Environmental impact of natural disasters & phenomena    12. Social Science / Disasters & Disaster Relief    13. Social impact of disasters    14. Social impact of environmental issues   

Reviews (2)

Biased reporting.
This book, like most written and portraying Hurricane Katrina, leads the reader to the conclusion that New Orleans is the only area devastated thereby. For anyone's information, New Orleans was on the West, or weak, side of Katrina. New Orleans was flooded because: 1) elevation there is about 7 feet BELOW sea level and 2)their levy system has NEVER been built to withstand cat 3 or greater storms. EVERY drop of rain that falls in New Orleans has to be pumped out, one way or the other. If the citizens of New Orleans had put more money into improving their levy system instead of the SuperDome, they might very well be living in dry and undamaged homes today instead of morning their dead and trying to put their city back together. New Orleans will be rebuilt someday and I hope and pray that they have learned and benefited from this disaster and won't make the same mistakes again. If you want to read and look at a balanced book coverning Hurricane Katrina, this isn't it.

Excellent bit of History
Hurricane Katrina changed the lives of many.This book recounts what occurred during that time in history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Disaster victims    2. Disasters & Disaster Relief    3. Government - General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Gulf Coast (U.S.)    6. Hurricane Katrina, 2005    7. Natural Disasters    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Rescue work    11. Sociology    12. United States    13. Nature / Natural Disasters