T.M.'s Book Review: The Unthinkable
The
Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why
by Amanda Ripley Crown Publishers, New York, 2008. This is not a psychobabble volume readable by a few academics. The author writes in plain English about a complicated subject that she makes easily understandable. She has interviewed hundreds of survivors, scholars, and scientists to obtain her information. The book is divided into three parts: Denial, Deliberation, and The Decisive Moment. Inside the three parts are eight chapters. Using case studies and first person accounts from survivors of a variety of disasters, the author explains why some people survive while many are dying all around them. Our natural instincts in a disaster are fear, shock, and flight or fight. Scientists have studied why some people gather into groups, some freeze in place, others flee the scene, while others respond calmly. Case histories of each response are given ranging from Hurricane Katrina, the Twin Towers, the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, a plane crash in Washington DC, the Virginia Tech shootings, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, ferry sinking in the Baltic Sea, and many more. There are numerous lessons for the reader, especially those who want to be prepared for any emergency. First, disasters are predictable – outcomes are not. I live in tornado country and not having a shelter is gambling with lives, so I have a shelter close to an exit door of my home and emergency radios to keep me informed. Earthquakes are number two so I have insurance. Forest fires are next and I have a quick exit plan. What disaster zone do you live in? Are you prepared for the inevitable? August 2, 2012 Copyright © 2012 Survival Blog
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