• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1459 0

be standing tall again. While our politicians and media have been keen to exploit and fan our worst fears, Amanda Ripley makes clear that individually and collectively we can meet head-on the hazards that periodically befall us. We need not be afraid!”

—STEPHEN FLYNN, Senior Fellow for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation

“A fascinating, in-depth look at human behavior under extreme pressure. Its gut-wrenching stories span the full spectrum of action under duress, from panic to heroism. Not only is this book fast-paced and engrossing, it’s illuminating.”

—MICHAEL TOUGIAS, author of Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea

“Reveals why, under the same circumstances, some people caught up in a disaster survive and others do not. Why some are hopelessly immobilized by fear and crippled by panic, and others are filled with strength, endurance, reactions, and the other intrinsic stuff of which Homeric heroes are made. How can we ensure which we will be? In her well-crafted prose, Amanda Ripley shows us all how to prepare to meet danger and increase our chances of surviving the unthinkable.”

—BRUCE HENDERSON, New York Times bestselling author of Down to the Sea and True North

“Rich in information about the subconscious ways we face danger. In the event that someday you face a sudden life-or-death situation, reading this book will increase the odds that the outcome will be life.”

—DAVID ROPEIK, coauthor of Risk!: A Practical Guide for Deciding What’s Really Safe and What’s Really Dangerous in the World Around You

“When a disaster occurs, we invariably learn the ‘what’ of the event—how many died, how many survived…Amanda Ripley’s riveting The Unthinkable provides genuine insight into the ‘why’ behind the numbers. This remarkable book will not only change your life, it could very well save it.”

—GREGG OLSEN, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America’s Richest Silver Mine

Copyright © 2008 by Amanda Ripley

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

CROWN is a trademark and the Crown colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ripley, Amanda.

The Unthinkable: who survives when disaster strikes and why / Amanda Ripley.

Includes bibliographical references.

1. Resilience (Personality trait) 2. Disasters—Psychological aspects. 3. Disaster relief. 4. Preparedness. 5. Risk management. 6. Emergency management. 7. Crisis intervention (Mental health services) 8. Disaster victims—Mental health. 9. Disasters—Risk assessment. I. Title.

BF698.35.R47R57 2008

155.9'35—dc22 2007040315

eISBN: 978-0-307-44927-6

v3.0