Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies. Angus M. Gunn. 2 vols. 733p. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. 0-313-34002-1; 978-0-313-34002-4. 2007-31001. $175.

Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies For this guide, geographer Angus Gunn examines the significance of 184 natural and human disasters. Ranging from the prehistoric eruption of a super volcano in Indonesia to the destruction of Greensburg, Kansas by a tornado in 2007, the natural events featured here include earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, tornados and volcanoes. The human disasters include fires, famine, plagues, dam failures, oil spills, industrial accidents, market collapses, nuclear explosions, revolutions, massacres and terrorist attacks. The events are chronologically arranged following an introductory assessment of our continuing risk from these kinds of disasters. Gunn marshals geological and historical evidence of the destruction of each event, frequently providing background on historic periods and geographical settings. The descriptions of disasters detail the sequence of events, measure destructive capacities, relate warnings of potential problems and compare current situations to historic disasters. Thus, the essays are frequently launching points for extensive discussions of comparable events and assessments of future risks. From the destruction of Pompeii to Hurricane Katrina, many of these disasters are famous events. The criteria for inclusion emphasize the scale of destruction to life and property as well as long-term consequences. The selection of human-caused disasters could obviously be much expanded, particularly those events involving conflict. However, as illustrations of types of problems, the selection is substantial food for thought. Unfortunately, a weak index and a high number of typographical errors undermine an otherwise informative work. Nonetheless, this sweeping survey of human tragedies will satisfy the morbid curiosity of readers in a wide range of libraries, from high school to academic.

— John Lawrence