The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why
by Amanda Ripley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Amanda RipleyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-10
ISBN: 0307352897
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Book Reviews of The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why
Book Review: "I'm A Survivor; I Hope You're A Survivor Too."
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Unthinkable" by Amanda Ripley is a fascinating study of human behavior in disasters with an applied psychology bent. As a long time safety professional, largely in the aviation industry, I appreciated her candor and insights into human reactions during time-critical situations. She calls on accidents and incidents from every walk of life, from aircraft accidents and fires, to hostage situations and terrorism.
The book thematically explores what she chooses to term the "survival arc," an arc consisting of denial, deliberation, and the decisive moment. In my studies of aviation incidents, I can attest to the general applicability of this model to almost every accident or incident, but had never seen it so well analyzed in such numerous differing examples.
The book opens with the explosion of the "Mont Blanc" in Halifax, and subsequently uses other examples such as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire (p.108,) one of the best examples I have ever seen of human behavior and the nature of panic in crowds. One of the strengths of the book is Ripley's excellent discussion of panic, paralysis, and heroic responses. Sometimes all three behaviors can be seen in a single accident, and diverse examples of all three are provided.
Ripley discusses the importance of always making an emergency plan (p.183,) which she emphasized using the example of the Air Florida 737 crash in the Potomac river. Ripley also discusses several barriers to better preparedness, including the huge fear of legal liability (p.211) that is especially rampant in America today.
The book is geared to the non-specialist and is accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject. I recommend a thorough reading of the notes and selected bibliography sections, as much further excellent reading is revealed and discussed there. While many of the concepts that Ripley discusses are common sense, some are not widely known outside of safety circles, and I recommend this book to both safety specialists and people interested in improving their odds of survival in a sudden catastrophe.
I think that Ripley has done the world a great service by writing such an accessible, interesting, informative, and well-illustrated book on such a vital topic, and I recommend it highly to everyone.
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