In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — And Why by Amanda Ripley goes on sale today.

I have had a chance to read the book, and I can recommend it wholeheartedly not only to any readers of this blog — who tend think about disasters more than most folks — but also to anyone who ever thinks about what they would do if faced with an emergency situation. Or, for that matter, anyone who likes well-reported, compelling non-fiction about some of the most dramatic events in recent history.

Ripley is a reporter with Time magazine who has covered the ‘disaster beat’ with singular distinction (She won  two National Magazine Awards as part of Time’s coverage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.) What I really appreciate about her work is that while much of the media focuses on disasters (often also very well) during the event, Ripley continues to report on the subject comprehensively and smartly long afterwards. As a result, her work not only tells us what has happened, but what we all can learn from it and how to do better the next time. This book is reflective of and a testament to that approach.

An excerpt of The Unthinkable was last week’s Time cover story.  It will give you a sense of how engaging, inspiring, provocative and helpful the rest of the book is.

I will be interviewing Amanda in Washington tomorrow and will be discussing the book further in subsequent posts. In particular interest to this blog, The Unthinkable is filled with information and insights for improving citizen preparedness – both for readers themselves and the nation as a whole.

If you want to find out more about the book or purchase it, you can go to Ripley’s website www.theunthinkable.com.