The Unthinkable

Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why

By: Amanda Ripley

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover how human beings react to danger—and what makes the difference between life and death

“Fascinating and useful . . . [shows that] the most important variable in an emergency is your own behavior.”—The New York Times

Today, nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims?

In her quest to answer these questions, award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley traces human responses to some of recent history’s epic disasters, from the explosion of the Mont Blanc munitions ship in 1917–one of the biggest explosions before the invention of the atomic bomb–to the journeys of the 15,000 people who found their way out of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. To understand the science behind the stories, Ripley turns to leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts. She even has her own brain examined by military researchers and experiences, through realistic simulations, what it might be like to survive a plane crash into the ocean or to escape a raging fire.

Ripley comes back with precious wisdom about the surprising humanity of crowds, the elegance of the brain’s fear circuits, and the stunning inadequacy of many of our evolutionary responses. Most unexpectedly, she discovers the brain’s ability to do much, much better–with just a little help.

©2008 Amanda Ripley (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Engrossing and lucid . . . 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

“The thinking person’s manual for getting out alive.”—NPR’s “Book Tour”

“The Unthinkable isn’t merely a book about disaster; it’s a book about survival—maybe yours.”—Gavin de Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Fear

Everyone should read this book!

The book was fantastic. My only significant comment is that I wish the author would create a second version with statistics of the even more recent incidents. As someone whose career is dedicated to preparing for emergencies, I think the book is extremely relevant.

Outstanding!

A must read to understand how people react in a disaster, it could save your life.

Fascinating read!

This book is equal parts informational and inspiring. Like a true journalist, Ripley takes cold hard facts and statistics and adds a human face. Also typical of journalists. she is entirely dismissive of the spiritual realm which is a shame since the evolutionary explanations of behavior are less than satisfying. But overall an excellent treaty of disaster preparedness.

Readiness for the brain

A simple insight into the mind and how to survive a critical event. should be mandatory reading for travelers!

Recommended

Very enjoyable and educational. I liked how the author interviewed many of the people she wrote about to get first person accounts when possible.

Very good information

I came across this book from a girl on TikTok an with the world the way it is these days I thought the more knowledge the better right! But wow this book was so engaging an brought to life so meany different scenarios I will be listening to this book again an have my daughter as well I think i hope to find more books like this the more you know the better!!

I found this book to be completely fascinating

I listen to this book because Mike Glover in his book Prepared mentioned it in reference to peoples personalities or automatic reactions in an emergency situation, and I thought I would be bored, but this was a great listen. I learned so much..

The antidote to fear is knowledge.

Before listening to this book I have also listened to DeBecker's The Gift Of Fear and Grossman's On Combat as well has having read the book by legendary NYPD officer Jim Cirrillo. As I listened to this book I immediately thought of the lessons from those only to learn all have been consulted by the author. While those other books focus on human behavior in combat this one focuses on behavior in any disaster. Almost all the lessons are the same from physiological and psychological reactions to the importance of preparedness.

Everyone should read this book. We live in a world where disaster while rare on a personal level is certain to occur around the globe on a regular basis to someone. This book is not about living a life of terror, afraid to go about your daily life. This book is about educating and enabling you to deal with situations which you will hopefully not experience. One key point is the antidote to fear is knowledge. This book is knowledge and everyone should read it.

Intriguing information

Not mind blowing but definitely interesting information. I do feel it was a little drawn out. The author is obviously irritated with people not being trusted enough to have the information that could save their lives but then goes on and on and on with so much. I'm quite capable of absorbing the value through much less. Also truely find it distasteful when an author uses a book to call someone out of ethics. There is a time and place everything.

FASINATING AND HELPFUL FOR RESCUERS AND ME!!

Wonderful I’m involved in rescue and relief
A MUST READ...LISTEN !! ESSENTIAL !! Discusses cases/research/brain function/variation in responses of human behavior patterns etc