Perils of a Restless Planet: Scientific Perspectives on Natural Disasters

by Ernest Zebrowski Jr.

Book Overview

From epidemics and earthquakes to tornadoes and tidal waves, the overwhelming power of Nature never ceases to instil humankind with both terror and awe. As natural disasters continue to claim human... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521654882
• ISBN13: 9780521654883
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Couldn't put it down

One of the best books I've read in a long time. This is popular science done right! For a start, the writing is very clear and the author manages to explain some complicated subjects in a straightforward manner. A book on natural disasters wouldn't be complete without exciting tales of death, mayhem and general destruction. In this book, the author proves himself a first rate yarn spinner. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what happened when Mont Pelee exploded or when Lisbon was swamped by a tsunami. This is the kind of science book I like. It assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, yet also assumes the reader is intelligent and can grasp new concepts. For example, the second chapter (in a book on natural disasters) is titled "The Evolution of Science" and provides a lucid and compact summary of the history and philosophy of science, no less! Bravo! Another great thing is the auther is always ready to point out the limitations of current science or current techniques. Some authors tend to gloss over the unknowns and pretend they know everything. You can learn a lot from this book. Each page is dense with scientific information, with no filler. What to do if involved in an earthquake, hurricane, tsunami or volcano. How to build a house. How the richter scale works. Its all in there. And the author isn't afraid to throw a few equations into the mix to illustrate the science behind the discussed phenomenon. If you are a thinker, you will love this book. Guaranteed!

Interesting stories with the science behind them

I picked up this book while in Cambridge, strolling through one of the bookstores in town. Thumbing through the pages, it looked like a collection of stories about natural disasters - something I thought would be interesting reading in the evening, after poking around old cathedrals, castles, and local pubs. Anyway, it was father's day and my wife offered to get it as a present - I gladly accepted and began reading it right away.It wasn't the book I expected. Sure, it has lots of stories about notable natural disasters, but it's much more than just sensational accounts. It's actually a well-thought-out science book with some excellent material about the nature of science in general, complete with basic tutorials on such things as strengths of materials, wave propagation, the weather, and chaos. The book begins with an account of the 1755 disaster that virtually destroyed Lisbon. The catastrophe consisted of an offshore earthquake that leveled much of the city (especially the un-reinforced buildings of stone masonry) followed by a tsunami and fires that basically destroyed what was left. This chapter also tells the story of the destruction of Thera (today called Santorin or Santorini) in the Aegean Sea. This island volcano erupted catastrophically, destroying most of it approximately 1600 B.C. An interesting part of this story is the conjecture that the catastrophe led to the eventual downfall of the civilization on Crete, not far away.The book then switches modes, temporarily, with a very nice expose on the evolution of science, and what science is. I especially appreciated Zebrowski's illustration of the basic assumptions in science, and how the philosophy and methods of science have evolved since Aristotle. Have you ever wondered at the differences in casualties between different cities? Well, you should. Zebrowski compares two remarkable catastrophes to make a point. One was the earthquake that struck San Francisco in 1906, and the other was an earthquake that hit Messina in 1908. Both earthquakes were of roughly the same magnitude, but the death toll was far greater n Messina than in San Francisco. The difference? Construction. In Messina the buildings were made primarily of un-reinforced stone masonry, while in San Francisco they were mostly made of wood. This serves as the introduction to a chapter that illustrates many important and basic ideas about the strengths of materials, and how the proper selection of such materials can make tremendous differences in how buildings survive earthquakes. If you live in earthquake country this chapter will be particularly relevant.One of the things I liked best about this book is how it takes the reader through so many different topics. There are examples of deep lakes with dissolved carbon dioxide. When disturbed by something like a landslide, this deep water can be rolled to the surface, and with the pressure released, belches large quantities of carbon dioxide across the co

Better than fiction!

"Perils" is a lucid and riveting exegesis on natural disasters. I especially enjoyed the analyses of historical events in light of modern theories and technologies and was particularly impressed by the fact that Zebrowski could make chaos theory so darned accessible! If his teaching style is as absorbing as his writing his students should count themselves fortunate. You should read this.

The book is good and understandable it encompass many ideas

To link all the subjects that are being used in understanding what makes live life ends also what makes live to make human weath nowing and living I find that easy for children to understand when you are in the classroom explaining the meaning of life in using geography, science, maths and other subjects. ANDILE MALI IS MY NAME & SURNAME

Perils is a beautiful marriage between science & storytelling

This is a fascinating book. The stories of blood and gore are captivating enough, but the real thrill is in the mystery of how and why nature chooses to destroy. The science behind disasters is not traditional textbook science, instead it is science at the cutting edge, full of more questions and speculations than answers. This is a book that causes the reader to pause and say *Hmm....* at least once, it seems, every page. There are a few typographical errors that the publisher ought to fix, but this is a minor complaint. Anyone with a curious mind will finish this book wishing it were longer. I hope the author writes a sequel!