A Choice of Catastrophes: The Disasters That Threaten Our World

By Isaac Asimov

Book Overview

Scientist, author, and Earth-dweller, explores the many potential natural and man-made catastrophes that could change life as we know it, or erase us from the face of the Earth. Natural properties and laws might change at any time, rendering life on this planet--or anywhere in the universe--impossible. But the disasters that are most imminent are in our power to control--technology, nuclear warfare, pollution... Natural forces far more powerful than man might destroy us. Or they may have nothing to do with bringing about the end. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671227017
• ISBN13: 9780671227012
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Exit Mundis

This nonfiction work by Issac Asimov describes all the ways that the world could end, from the eventual collapse of the universe in the Big Crunch, to a boring ol' meteorite impact. But never fear, you planetary hypochondriacs, for the great doctor patiently describes how horribly unlikely most of the scenarios are, and how to avoid the few remaining. In true Asimov style, the information of the events are described play-by-play; from far back in history, when we first discovered the possibility of them occurring, to all that we have learned since then, information is derived from past information, so no one gets lost in technobabble. In fact, technobabble is even explained, so you too can learn how a black hole forms. Recommended for fans of the website Exit Mundis, which has a similar concept, and for all other fans of the good doctor's work.

AN UNKNOWN JEWEL

WHEN I PURCHASED THIS BOOK, I BOUGHT IT MAINLY TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION OF ISAAC ASIMOV NOVELS AND ANTHOLOGIES. I WAS SURPRISED AND PLEASED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS ONE OF HIS BEST ANTHOLOGIES, AT LEAST IN MY MIND. THE STORIES SELECTED BY ASIMOV AND HIS TWO CO-EDITORS, MARTIN GREENBURGH AND CHARLES WAUGH, WERE RICH IN CHARACTERIZATION AND THE STORYLINES WERE SPELLBINDING, EVEN IF IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THESE SITUATIONS WOULD OR COULD EVER OCCUR, BUT SUCH IS FANTASY! ANOTHER REASON I , ALONG WITH THOSE I LENT THIS BOOK TO, ENJOYED IT WAS THE FACT THAT MANY OF THE AUTHORS WHOSE WORKS WERE SELECTED WERE OBSCURE; NO ONE I KNEW HAD HEARD OF THEM. BUT THE MAIN REASON WAS THE FACT THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE STORIES DID NOT END ON A DOWN NOTE. THEY ALWAYS CONTAINED SORT OF HOPE OF SURVIVAL. I READ THIS BOOK TO PIECES, AND WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS OUT OF PRINT, AND NOT LIKELY TO BE RE-ISSUED. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, IF YOU CAN FIND A COPY. SURE HOPE I CAN!

How will life end?

In this book, Asimov explores and analyzes the different ways the world, or civilzation, could end (the "catastrophes") and estimates the likelihood and time frame of each one of them. He goes all the way from the macro-catastrophes (heat death of the universe) to the micro-catastrophes (disease and political turmoil).Very interesting book that brings science and a dose of reality into this consideration of the ultimate demise of mankind.

Will humanity overcome?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book(Dutch translation). I had never before read Asimov, and although I imagined him as a "serious" science-fiction author, the subject and title of this book made me uncertain about what to expect... Would it go down the popular road of feeding on people's fear? As it turns out, there was no need to worry. Asimov uses a nicely balanced approach to this mass-appeal theme to touch many fields of science and even culture. His message is not one of hysteria, but a message of hope. He presents himself as a true Homo Universalis of our time. Not in the sense that he pretends to know everything about anything, the sort of omni-knowledge that died after the Renaissance. But in the sense that he argues like a true World Citizen. A member of the human race instead of belonging to this or that nation/religion/sex/whatever. Of course, the subject of the book lends itself very well for this. So my impression is that Asimov found it more important to awake this feeling in the readers, than to write a sort of disaster-encyclopedia. The book is meant to assist us in becoming conscious about our position in space and time. About our relation to the past, the future and all the phenomenons in the Universe that completely outscale us in size, violence and duration. It is meant to make us feel tiny and insignificant in one way. But certainly also to unite us in a collective battle against the indifferent laws of nature and evolution.I would recommended this book to anyone with a broad view on the world around us.

A few things to think about

The stories in this book range from not likely to frighteningly real--the ways that humans are capable of destroying themselves are depicted in accurate detail. A must read (again)...if only I could find a copy!