The Unthinkable (Revised and Updated): Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--and Why

This book examines how people respond to danger and what determines survival outcomes during disasters. Nine out of ten Americans live in areas at risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters, and many will face split-second survival decisions. Amanda Ripley, an award-winning journalist, investigates human responses to major historical disasters, including the 1917 Mont Blanc munitions ship explosion and the evacuation of 15,000 people from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. She consults brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and disaster experts to understand the science behind these events. Ripley also participates in realistic simulations of plane crashes and fires, and has her brain examined by military researchers. The book explores how crowds behave during emergencies, how fear circuits function in the brain, and why some evolutionary responses prove inadequate in modern disasters. Ripley concludes that the brain has greater capacity for survival than commonly assumed, particularly with preparation and understanding.