A riveting expedition into the science of disaster—now revised and updated to include an investigation into the pandemic and the role of social media and distrust in disaster response.
In this inspiring mix of narrative, research and participatory journalism, journalist Amanda Ripley reveals how human fear circuits and crowd dynamics work, why our instincts sometimes misfire in modern calamities and how we can do much, much better.
“Ripley is a voyeur on a mission...Her conviction: We’d all stand a better chance of surviving a disaster if we understood what happens to our little gray cells when things get ugly… Spiced with surprising factoids, this book might save your life one day.”
— JAMES PRESSLEY, BLOOMBERG NEWS
“A fascinating and useful new book...One of the main lessons is that panic, denial and fear may be inevitable during a disaster, but your brain will perform best in a stressful situation if you have already put it through a few rehearsals.”
— TARA PARKER-POPE, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Engrossing and lucid…An absorbing study of the psychology and physiology of panic, heroism, and trauma...Facing the truth about the human capacity for risk and disaster turns out to be a lot less scary than staying in the dark.”
— ELAINA RICHARDSON, O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE
“Much has been said on what people do in emergency situations and disasters. THE UNTHINKABLE gives readers the why. Examining not just professional responders and emergency managers but the survivors themselves, Amanda Ripley provides insights into how people act, or fail to act, in critical situations— lessons no Emergency Manager should ignore.”
— CRAIG FUGATE, DIRECTOR, FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
“The thinking person’s manual for getting out alive.”
— NEDA ULABY, NPR
“Stories…are the fascinating core of THE UNTHINKABLE, Amanda Ripley’s investigation of the science behind victims’ varied and frequently counterproductive actions.”
— BRIAN BETHUNE, MACLEAN'S
