Set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, the mesmerizing stories in After the Quake are as haunting as dreams and as potent as oracles. An electronics salesman who has been deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package— and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who views himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. The six stories in this collection come from the deep and mysterious place where the human meets the inhuman—and are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.
The celebrated physician and anthropologist offers a vivid on-the-ground account of the relief effort in the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake—and issues a powerful call to action. Reprint.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Speed and The Ant and the Elephant comes an all-new parable to help you break free from feeling stuck and bounce back after a crisis. "Life has its ups and downs; however, we should never give up hope . . . The Earthquake will inspire many to meet the difficult challenges of life." —Dalai Lama The Earthquake is a must read for anyone looking to find their way to sustained hope. Use this book to find specific solutions to the setback you’re currently facing or to help others bounce back from their personal earthquake. This parable will help readers to: Reframe dark times as illuminating experiences Resist the impulse to go it alone Find fresh perspectives Seek a path where you can enjoy the journey In this entertaining modern-day fable, Vince Poscente introduces us to the well-intentioned, conscious ant and the habitually fearful, subconscious elephant as seismic destruction changes their world and ultimately forces them to leave their oasis. What Adir the ant and Elgo the elephant learn—and what you’ll learn by journeying with them—is the linear path they used to reach the oasis in The Ant and the Elephant does not work in the chaos after an earthquake. How can they breakthrough and thrive after a life-altering setback? This book offers prescriptive advice, and is based on Poscente’s study of practices including: decoding human behavior the neuroscience of performance interpersonal dysfunction around fear
Great natural disasters are rare, but their aftermath can change the fortunes of a city or region forever. This book and its companion Policy Focus Report identify lessons from different parts of the world to help communities and government leaders better organize for recovery after future disasters. The authors consider the processes and outcomes of community recovery and reconstruction following major disasters in six countries: China, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Post-disaster reconstruction offers opportunities to improve construction and design standards, renew infrastructure, create new land use arrangements, reinvent economies, and improve governance. If done well, reconstruction can help break the cycle of disaster-related impacts and losses, and improve the resilience of a city or region.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti’s capital on January 12, 2010 will be remembered as one of the world’s deadliest disasters. The earthquake was a tragedy that gripped the nation-and the world. But as a disaster it also magnified the social ills that have beset this island nation that sits squarely in the United States’ diplomatic and geopolitical shadow. The quake exposed centuries of underdevelopment, misguided economic policies, and foreign aid interventions that have contributed to rampant inequality and social exclusion in Haiti. Tectonic Shiftsoffers a diverse on-the-ground set of perspectives about Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake and the aftermath that left more than 1.5 million individuals homeless. Following a critical analysis of Haiti’s heightened vulnerability as a result of centuries of foreign policy and most recently neoliberal economic policies, this book addresses a range of contemporary realities, foreign impositions, and political changes that occurred during the relief and reconstruction periods. Analysis of these realities offers tools for engaged, principled reflection and action. Essays by scholars, journalists, activists, and Haitians still on the island and those in the Diaspora highlight the many struggles that the Haitian people face today, providing lessons not only for those impacted and involved in relief, but for people engaged in struggles for justice and transformation in other parts of the world.
The thrilling, cinematic story of a community shattered by disaster—and the extraordinary woman who helped pull it back together “A powerful, heart-wrenching book, as much art as it is journalism.”—The Wall Street Journal “A beautifully wrought and profoundly joyful story of compassion and perseverance.”—BuzzFeed (Best Books of the Year) In the spring of 1964, Anchorage, Alaska, was a modern-day frontier town yearning to be a metropolis—the largest, proudest city in a state that was still brand-new. But just before sundown on Good Friday, the community was jolted by the most powerful earthquake in American history, a catastrophic 9.2 on the Richter Scale. For four and a half minutes, the ground lurched and rolled. Streets cracked open and swallowed buildings whole. And once the shaking stopped, night fell and Anchorage went dark. The city was in disarray and sealed off from the outside world. Slowly, people switched on their transistor radios and heard a familiar woman’s voice explaining what had just happened and what to do next. Genie Chance was a part-time radio reporter and working mother who would play an unlikely role in the wake of the disaster, helping to put her fractured community back together. Her tireless broadcasts over the next three days would transform her into a legendary figure in Alaska and bring her fame worldwide—but only briefly. That Easter weekend in Anchorage, Genie and a cast of endearingly eccentric characters—from a mountaineering psychologist to the local community theater group staging Our Town—were thrown into a jumbled world they could not recognize. Together, they would make a home in it again. Drawing on thousands of pages of unpublished documents, interviews with survivors, and original broadcast recordings, This Is Chance! is the hopeful, gorgeously told story of a single catastrophic weekend and proof of our collective strength in a turbulent world. There are moments when reality instantly changes—when the life we assume is stable gets upended by pure chance. This Is Chance! is an electrifying and lavishly empathetic portrayal of one community rising above the randomness, a real-life fable of human connection withstanding chaos.
A collection of essays accompany this collection of photos of San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake and fire, juxtaposed with photos of the city today.
Scientific reportage on what we know and don’t know about the mega-earthquake predicted to hit the Pacific Northwest Scientists have identified Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver as the urban centers of what will be the biggest earthquake—the Really Big One—in the continental United States. A quake will happen—in fact, it’s actually overdue. The Cascadia subduction zone is 750 miles long, running along the Pacific coast from Northern California up to southern British Columbia. In this fascinating book, The Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are. With a 100% chance of a mega-quake hitting the Pacific Northwest, this fascinating book reports on the scientists who are trying to understand when, where, and just how big The Big One will be.
Vogue Best of 2017 Esquire 50 Best Books of 2017 Bustle Best Debut Novels Written by Women 2017 The Guardian Best Books of 2017 The Morning News 2018 Tournament of Books Pick Fifteen year old Eugenia is rudely yanked from her dreamy Roman existence by her filmmaker parents, who dream of fame and fortune, and transplanted to the strange, suburban world of the San Fernando Valley. It’s 1992, mere weeks after the Rodney King riots, and she has only the Virgin Mary to call on for guidance as she struggles to navigate the unfamiliar terrain of the LA high school experience—a world of gang rivalries and all-night-raves, fast food and sneakers. But the angst, ecstasy, and self-discovery of adolescence endure, no matter the backdrop. Frank, edgy, honest and raw, this irresistible debut is the love child of Jill Eisenstadt, Eve Babitz, Antonioni and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
The definitive guide to getting ready for and staying safe after a major earthquake in the Pacific Northwest. FEMA recommends being prepared for two weeks of self-sufficiency after it occurs, and this handbook will show you how with clear, informative, and easy-to-implement steps. Recent seismic activity has made national headlines and underscored the fact that the Cascadia fault line off the coast of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California is overdue for a major earthquake. And when it happens, living conditions could be akin to those in the mid-nineteenth century. This handbook covers the supplies you need to stay safely in place, including water, food (and food prep), first aid, sanitation, health and hygiene needs, shelter and bedding, and light/fire. It also includes lists of what to purchase and how to store it, as well as simple excercises to gain confidence in perfoming necessary tasks. Learn what to do during and immediately after an earthquake, how to develop a reunification plan, and how to communicate when basic infrastructure is down. It also addresses the particular concerns of those living in coastal areas (the tsunami zone) as well as those outside of the severe impact zone. It covers long-term ways to stay safe without modern conveniences and a crash course in survival techniques should the quake happen before all preparations are complete. Get Ready! presents information in clear, practical, and managable steps, equipping the reader with the skills to care for themselves and their loved ones should a major earthquake hit. And when it does, the internet will not be an option, making this reference handbook invaluable. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you need Get Ready!
