Disaster Government

2015 saw the worst American maritime disaster in decades. The captain of the SS El Faro commanded his crew to sail straight into a hurricane. The ship sank and all 33 crew members died. The sinking raised troubling questions: Why did the captain choose to sail into the hurricane? Why did no one on board or on shore stop him? And why was such an old and heavily loaded ship even allowed on the water? The crew of the SS El Faro is gone, but their haunting final hours were preserved by the ship’s black box.

The rise of the new far right has left the world grappling with a profound misunderstanding. While the spotlight often shines on the actions of charismatic leaders, the true peril lies elsewhere. Defeating these people will not stem the tide driving them forward. They are merely the embodiment of profound forces that are rarely understood. Propelled through the vast networks of social media and fueled by far-right influencers, enthralled by images of disaster and fantasies of doom, they have emerged from a reservoir of societal despair, fear, and isolation.

They thought they’d uncovered the truth, but the storms have only just begun. After barely surviving the rogue tornadoes tearing through the plains, storm chaser Beck Maddox and atmospheric scientist Savannah Reyes are determined to expose the weaponized weather conspiracy brewing behind the scenes, but the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the skies become—and someone is making sure the truth stays buried. Each new storm isn’t just stronger, it’s smarter, and it’s targeting the people asking questions. With their allies disappearing and time running out, Beck and Savannah must ...

Donald Trump: The Master of Disaster is a searing examination of a presidency defined not by leadership, but by chaos, erosion, and consequence. This book argues—methodically and relentlessly—that Donald J. Trump is not merely a controversial president, but a historically destructive one. Through vivid narrative and documented analysis, it traces how impulsive decision-making, contempt for democratic norms, and the personalization of power have repeatedly placed the nation’s institutions, economy, and moral standing at risk. From governance by grievance to rule by loyalty tests, ...

Should we stop caring about fading regional powers like China, Russia, Germany, and Iran? Will the collapse of international cooperation push France, Turkey, Japan, and Saudi Arabia to the top of international concerns? Most countries and companies are not prepared for the world Peter Zeihan...

On Thursday, July 13, 1995, Chicagoans awoke to a blistering day in which the temperature would reach 106 degrees. The heat index, which measures how the temperature actually feels on the body, would hit 126 degrees by the time the day was over. In Heat Wave, Eric Klinenberg takes us inside the anatomy of the metropolis to conduct what he calls a "social autopsy," examining the social, political, and institutional organs of the city that made this urban disaster so much worse than it ought to have been.

An urgent, transformative guide to dealing with disasters from one of today’s foremost thinkers in crisis management. “In a world marred by preventable miscalculation, Juliette Kayyem’s The Devil Never Sleeps provides a playbook for making it out alive.” —The New Yorker The future may...

"Baby Boomers (and I confess I am one): prepare to squirm and shake your increasingly arthritic little fists. For here comes essayist Helen Andrews."--Terry Castle With two recessions and a botched pandemic under their belt, the Boomers are their children's favorite punching bag. But is the...

Atoms and Ashes recounts the dramatic history of nuclear accidents that have dogged the industry in its military and civil incarnations since the 1950s. Through the stories of six terrifying major incidents—Bikini Atoll, Kyshtym, Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima—Cold War expert Serhii Plokhy explores the risks of nuclear power, both for military and peaceful purposes, while offering a vivid account of how individuals and governments make decisions under extraordinary circumstances.

The legend is real, and it's watching. In Point Pleasant, a terrifying red-eyed creature stalks the night, heralding a dark conspiracy and an unthinkable disaster. When the infamous Mothman begins to terrorize the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, local deputy Joe Larkin and determined journalist Mary Kline are drawn into a deepening mystery. Their investigation into the red-eyed, winged creature uncovers a sinister government conspiracy stretching back decades, involving secret projects like Project Valkyrie and Project Chiron. They face chilling encounters with the enigmatic ...

An ecological disaster of global proportions is sweeping the land, the result of failed government experimentation. What started out as an attempt to create a drought- resistant class of pollinator, has gone dreadfully wrong. Now worldwide extinction threatens all life forms. Dropped into this expanding devastation are two teens, orphaned when their scientist parents are kidnapped by the government. Desperate times call for desperate measures and topping the list is the need uncover the government’s sinister plot. It’s not what they think. The very world balances on an ever-deepening ...

An energizing case for hope about the climate comes from Rebecca Solnit, called “the voice of the resistance” by the New York Times, and climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua, along with a chorus of voices calling on us to rise to the moment. Not Too Late is the book for anyone who is despondent, defeatist, or unsure about climate change and seeking answers. As the contributors to this volume make clear, the future will be decided by whether we act in the present—and we must act to counter institutional inertia, fossil fuel interests, and political obduracy. T

What if the most dangerous force in economics isn’t greed or fraud—but agreement? In Collapse by Committee, James G. Woods II investigates the economic disasters that weren’t caused by lone wolves or rogue traders, but by groups of educated, well-intentioned leaders who, together, made catastrophic decisions. Across decades and continents, history reveals a troubling truth: when ego meets consensus and data is buried under politics, markets fall hard.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The dramatic story of the Flint water crisis, by a relentless physician who stood up to power. “Stirring . . . [a] blueprint for all those who believe . . . that ‘the world . . . should be full of people raising their voices.’”—The New York Times...

In this cinematic thriller from a New York Times bestselling author, two sisters must fight for their survival after a natural disaster in the Pacific Northwest. In the shadow of Mount Hood, sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister Sophie when the girls...

From the bestselling author of Flags of our Fathers, Flyboys, and The Imperial Cruise, a spellbinding history of turbulent U.S.-China relations from the 19th century to World War II and Mao's ascent. In each of his books, James Bradley has exposed the hidden truths behind America's engagement in...

Haiti’s state is near-collapse: armed groups have overrun the country, many government officials have fled after the 2021 assassination of President Moise, refugees desperately set out on boats to reach the US and Latin America, and the economy reels from the after-effects of disasters that destroyed much of Haiti’s infrastructure. How did a nation founded on liberation come to such a precipice? Jake Johnston, researcher and writer at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, reveals how US and European capitalist goals re-enslaved Haiti under the guise of helping it.

A monumental, genre-defying novel that David Mitchell calls "Michel Faber’s second masterpiece," The Book of Strange New Things is a masterwork from a writer in full command of his many talents. It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one...

At 5:12 a.m. on the morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco was struck by one of the worst earthquakes in history, instantly killing hundreds. This watershed event in American history has never before been told with the richness of historical detail and insight that our foremost historian of fire, Dennis Smith, brings to it in San Francisco Is Burning. Smith cinematically recounts this terrible tragedy through the stories of the people who lived through those terrible days...

""Your government failed you . . . and I failed you."" Richard Clarke's dramatic statement to the grieving families during the 9-11 Commission hearings touched a raw nerve across America. Not only had our government failed to prevent the 2001 terrorist attacks, but it has proven itself, time and...