02743cam a2200409 4500 545764358 TxAuBib 070927s2008||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2007040315 9780307352897 0307352897 (OCoLC)174040154 DLC DLC YDX TxAuBib Ripley, Amanda. The unthinkable : who survives when disaster strikes and why / Amanda Ripley. 1st ed. New York : Crown Publishers, 2008. xx, 266 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 25 cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Introduction : "life becomes like molten metal" -- pt. 1: Denial. Delay : procrastinating in Tower 1 -- Risk : gambling in New Orleans -- pt. 2: Deliberation. Fear : the body and mind of a hostage -- Resilience : staying cool in Jerusalem -- Groupthink : role playing at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire -- pt. 3: The decisive moment. Panic : a stampede on holy ground -- Paralysis : playing dead in French class -- Heroism : a suicide attempt on the Potomac River -- Conclusion : making new instincts. Denial -- Deliberation -- The decisive moment. Nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims? Will our upbringing, our gender, our personality--anything we've ever learned, thought, or dreamed of--ultimately matter? Journalist Amanda Ripley set out to discover what lies beyond fear and speculation, retracing the human response to some of history's epic disasters. She comes back with wisdom about the surprising humanity of crowds, the elegance of the brain's fear circuits, and the stunning inadequacy of many of our evolutionary responses. Most unexpectedly, she discovers the brain's ability to do much, much better, with just a little help--From publisher description. Resilience (Personality trait.) Disasters Psychological aspects. Disasters Risk assessment. Disasters. Disaster relief. Preparedness. Emergency management. Crisis intervention (Mental health services.) Disaster victims Mental health. Adaptation, Psychological. Civil Defense methods. Mental Health Services. Relief Work. Risk management.