This week in history. Remember the catastrophe that happened on March 24, 1989?–the  Exxon Valdez ran aground.

This week’s book giveaway is The Next Catastrophe by Charles Perrow.

The Next Catastrophe is a penetrating reassessment of the very real
dangers we face today and what we must do to confront them. Written in a highly accessible style by a renowned systems-behavior expert, this book is essential reading for the twenty-first century. The events of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina–and the devastating human toll they wrought–were only the beginning. When the next big disaster comes, will we be ready? In a new preface to the paperback edition, Perrow examines the recent (and ongoing) catastrophes of the financial crisis, the BP oil spill, and global warming.

“From the opening pages, The Next Catastrophe is riveting, eye-opening, and haunting. The causes of disasters go far beyond random acts of nature or terrorism; they reflect underlying systemic and managerial issues that we must confront in order to ensure our safety. Luckily, Charles Perrow digs deeply to find some difficult but promising solutions. Concerned citizens must join the experts in reading this brilliant book.”–Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor, best-selling author of Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End

This book proposes a bold new way of thinking about disaster preparedness…Focusing on three causes of disaster–natural, organizational, and deliberate–he shows that our best hope lies in the deconcentration of high-risk populations, corporate power, and critical infrastructures. He also provides the first comprehensive history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and examines why these agencies are so ill equipped to protect U.S. citizens.”–Natural Hazards Observer

Anyone who has LIKED us will be in our Facebook weekly book giveaway draw this Friday.

The Next Catastrophe by Charles Perrow