November 2021
This newsletter is a compilation of recent disaster ~things~ that I think are cool, important, or otherwise of interest to people who are intrigued with disaster (broadly defined).
There’s a little something for everyone!
It’s the holidays which is always a good time for some self-care and by self-care I do mean BUYING BOOKS. In addition to buying books for yourself, this is also a great time of year to buy books for all your friends and family. Books, in my opinion, are the perfect gift. Purchasing a book for someone else still gets you the rush of buying a book but you’re not adding to your bookshelves which, if you’re like me, are nearing collapse.
Below I’ve re-visited the disaster book recommendations I’ve suggested each month in the newsletter. As a little bonus, I’ve included a few climate change books that I read this year and really enjoyed.
Also, ahem. YOU COULD BUY MY BOOK FOR EVERYONE YOU KNOW. It’s available as a regular book, e-book, and audiobook so regardless of how they enjoy consuming books I’ve got you covered.) Mkay. Thanks!Loveyousomuch.
The 2021 Disasterology Newsletter Recommended Books
“Catastrophe: Stories and Lessons from the Halifax Explosion” by T. Joseph Scanlon and Roger Sarty (Editor)
This book is a product of many decades of research conducted by Joe Scanlon and published posthumously by his family and editor. The book reviews the response to the Halifax explosion in great detail. I will warn you it is more academic in its writing and does not take a narrative form. What this book does is reevaluate the popular narrative of the catastrophe using a modern-day disaster framework. In other words, it applies the findings of research that has been learned about emergency management and human behavior in the century since the Halifax explosion.
“Disposable City: Miami’s Future on the Shores of Climate Catastrophe” by Mario Alejandro Ariza
This is a deeply personal book about the experience of watching a place fall into a changing climate. It negotiates the conflicting feelings that arise with an uncertain future. Science and research underlie the breadth of subjects covered, but this is an incredibly readable book. Ariza accomplished, for me, the delicate task of diffusing the book with humor at all the right moments (e.g., “nobody speaks fluent octopus”). This is a good one for anyone who cares about climate change but doesn’t want to read dense climate texts.
“The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America” by Dr. Lawrence T. Brown
This book contends that “the nation is currently teetering on its axis as American Apartheid threatens to tear the nation apart”. It asks, “How can American cities promote racial equity, end redlining, and reverse the damaging health- and wealth-related effects of segregation?” The subjects of this book underly everything we do in emergency management making it critical reading. Brown clarifies terms like gentrification and racial equity (that we use frequently in the disaster context) while weaving them throughout U.S. history. This narrative is backed by research and explicit instructions on how to pursue change. The most brilliant and effective books don’t tell you what to think, they provide you a framework for how to think – which is exactly what Brown has accomplished here.
“Angry Weather: Heat Waves, Floods, Storms, and the New Science of Climate Change” by Dr. Friederike Otto
This book focuses on how they determined climate change’s role in Hurricane Harvey but also explains what the profound implications of this work could be. Dr. Otto is the associate director of the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University and was a lead author on the IPCC report. You can read more about her team’s work here.
“1001 Voices on Climate Change: Everyday Stories of Flood, Fire, Drought, and Displacement from Around the World” by Devi Lockwood
I had the absolute joy of reading this book in a hammock this summer (do recommend) and have been recommending it since. Devi traveled around the world asking people about the changes they were already seeing in their communities because of the climate crisis. It is such a personal and, at times, heart-wrenching look at the many ways climate change manifests globally.
“A Fire Story” by Brian Fies
This is a graphic novel about the author’s experience of surviving the Tubbs Fire. Fies experience of losing his home in the fire allows him to communicate his story in a deeply personal way. There are so many small nuances that he is able to articulate throughout his story that will feel familiar to other survivors (like realizing the garage door opener in your car is completely useless now that your house is gone). The illustrations are phenomenal as well. It is a difficult read at times -- it elicits an emotional response -- but it’s an important one.
“Getting to the Heart of Science Communication: A Guide to Effective Engagement” by Faith Kearns
This is an absolutely incredible book that examines how we do science communication (broadly defined). It is a must-read for anyone doing science communication work but because Kearns specializes in water, fire, and climate it is especially relevant for those of us doing disaster-related work. Besides researchers, I also think many emergency management practitioners -- especially those that do outreach -- will find this book invaluable.
“This is Chance! The Shaking of an All-American City, A Voice That Held It Together” by Jon Mooallem
Very few writers get disaster response right, Jon Mooallem is one of them. I’ve been pelted by recommendations to read This is Chance! and y’all weren’t joking. Let me put this in terms you’ll understand – it easily surpasses Isaac’s Storm. Yeah, I said it.
The book follows the experience of Genie Chance, a local radio reporter who finds herself at the center of the 1964 Alaska earthquake. I cannot think of another book that so clearly depicts how reporters are an active part of disaster response. At a time when there’s something akin to hostility towards emergence and improvisation in disaster response, this story illustrates not only its value but its beauty. Mooallem also brings in two of our favorite disaster researchers – Dr. Quarantelli and Dr. Anderson, who flew to Alaska to do one of the first Quick Response Studies. The list of popular disaster books that center women are few so on that point alone this is a worthy read.
“The Book of the Dead” by Muriel Rukeyser (Author) and Catherine Venable Moore (Introduction)
This is a book of poems about the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster. It is considered one of the worst industrial disasters in U.S. history. In the early 1930s, a tunnel was dug in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia for the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation. Thousands of mostly Black workers were paid a pitiful wage to work in the tunnel. They were not given the appropriate equipment and after inhaling silica many developed irreparable lung damage. The exact number is unknown but upwards of 750 people died.
In 1936 poet and political activist Muriel Rukeyser traveled to Gauley Bridge with photographer Nancy Naumburg to investigate the disasters. There seem to be only two surviving photographs (included in the book) but Rukeyser’s poems printed here are vivid enough. The introduction to the book of poetry, written by Catherine Venable Moore, is itself phenomenal.
Notable Climate Change Books
“The Loneliest Polar Bear” by Kale Williams for a book that effortlessly intertwines our future survival with the life of a polar bear. Buy it here.
“Our Biggest Experiment” by Alice Bell for a book on the history of the climate crisis. Buy it here.
“Under the Sky We Make” by Dr. Kimberly Nicholas for a book on how we fix the climate crisis. Buy it here.
“On Time and Water” by Andri Snær Magnason for a book of beautiful writing on the climate crisis. Buy it here.
“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” by Andreas Malm for a book that will get you some weird looks if you read it in public. Buy it here.
If you have made it to this point and STILL want more disaster book recommendations, I’ve got you covered over on my blog.
Finally, a meme for good luck…
The End Bits:
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Read Disasterology: Dispatches From The Frontlines of The Climate Crisis If you haven’t picked it up yet you can read a review from USA Today here, order it here, or get it as an audiobook here.
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Finally, this newsletter is ~FREE~. I plan on keeping it that way because eliminating barriers to disaster knowledge is important. However, several people expressed an interest in financially supporting this work. I’ve created a “paid subscriber” option for $5 a month or whatever you’d like to give. The only difference between a free sign-up and a paid subscriber option is that you’ll be able to see the full archives of the newsletters. Really, this is just a way for those who want (and can) to support the newsletter. I’ll use the money to cover administrative expenses, do things like buy books to review, and maybe one day hire a research assistant to help. Thank you to everyone who has already supported financially!!