The Unthinkable

A must read. We need books like this to help us understand the world in which we live. -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of 'The Black Swan' and 'Fooled By Randomness' A fascinating book ... The Unthinkable is part study of the science of reaction to extreme fear, part indictment of the US government's response to the terrorist threat, part call to arms -- Robert Crampton * The Times * Excellent and accessible study of how people react in disasters ... aside from the sound advice, one of the main strengths of this book is the wealth of anecdotal material and startling facts' 4 stars * London Lite * Ripley's survey of a vast area of research is impressively handled and eminently readable and, should disaster strike, the insights she provides into how you and those around you may respond might just save your life * New Humanist * Spiced with surprising factoids, this book might save your life one day. Just don't read it on a trans-Atlantic flight * Bloomberg * A fascinating and useful new book * New York Times * The thinking person's manual for getting out alive * National Public Radio * 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 * O, The Oprah Magazine * This is a book with a purpose, meant to change things -- Rob Hardy * The Commercial Dispatch * Amanda Ripley takes us on a sometimes stunning, sometimes sobering journey through disaster, using great stories and respected science to show why some prevail and others do not. The Unthinkable isn't merely a book about disaster; it's a book about survival -- maybe yours -- Gavin de Becker, author of New York Times bestseller The Gift of Fear