So every once and a while I put down my fun books and read something serious. :) I am very interested in disasters and how to be prepared so when I saw this book I snapped it up from the library. It wasn't what I thought it would be, but it was very good. Instead of telling you exactly how to survive in a disaster, the author/journalist who has covered many real life events does an in-depth study of the human reaction to trauma and uncertainty in crisis. The most compelling parts of the book are her interviews with survivors and their experiences. She interviews 9/11 survivors, a Virginia Tech student, New Orleans resident during hurricane Katrina, firefighters, police officers, trainers, doctors, and people who study disasters & emergency response for a living. I found everything fascinating. From the brain's response to disaster (denial, deliberation, action) to the tendency of some people to freeze and how to overcome that, there is a lot of information to think about. The writing can be a bit choppy and disorganized at times, but overall a great read!Oh, and if you don't know there is a sequel to Shannon Hale's Princess Academy coming out very soon. It's called Palace of Stone. !!! I'm a little excited about this. :)
