Book Review
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Pure and Applied Geophysics
Book Review ‘‘Natural Disasters’’, by Patrick L. Abbott, Eights Edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011; ISBN-10: 0073369373, ISBN-13: 978-007733-372, USD 91.49 SUSANA CUSTO´DIO1 ‘‘Natural Disasters’’, by Patrick Abbott, is an old favorite textbook for teaching undergraduate general education courses about the Earth. The book covers a wide range of topics under the overarching umbrella of Natural Disasters. This book expresses the belief that everyone should have a basic understanding of how our planet works, because everyone interacts with the Earth’s system and needs to do so in a responsible manner. As the author writes: ‘‘During decades of teaching courses at San Diego State University, I found that students have an innate curiosity about ‘death and destruction’’’. Abbott explores this innate curiosity with exceptional skill. For many years and many editions this engaging book has had great success, due to its clear and attractive color figures, interesting fact tables, and most of all, due to Patrick Abbott’s captivating writing. Abbott has a remarkable ability to pick the themes that are most interesting to a general audience, and to then explain them in an accessible and enticing way. Readers just cannot let go before they reach the end of the ‘‘story’’. In fact, in this book Abbott explains how the Earth works in a storytelling fashion, without losing sight of the scientific facts, evidence and methodology. Besides the main text, figures and tables, ‘‘Natural Disasters’’ includes boxes entitled ‘‘Side Notes’’, ‘‘In Greater Depth’’, and ‘‘A Classic Disaster’’. These boxes provide a break from the main text to learn about curiosities, to deepen certain issues, or to read
1 Instituto D. Luiz, Faculdade de Cieˆncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Ed. C8, Piso 3, Gab. 5 (8.3.05), 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected]
about landmark disasters. ‘‘Natural Disasters’’ is full of real world examples and case studies, which help students relate at a personal level to the topics in the book. Abbott also poses questions to the students throughout the book, instead of dully describing the topics, encouraging the students to reflect by themselves. At the end of each chapter the students can find a ‘‘Summary’’, a list of ‘‘Terms to Remember’’, some ‘‘Questions for Review’’ and also ‘‘Questions For Further Thought’’. All these are designed to guide and structure students’ study. One of my favorite features of this book are the quotations at the beginning of each chapter, ranging from a Benjamin Franklin quotation on plate tectonics to Winnie the Pooh’s quotation on rain. In the title page of the climate change chapter, one can read: ‘‘All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.’’ —a quotation of Arthur Schopenhauer. The eighth edition of Natural Disasters brings along a major reorganization of the book structure, which is accompanied by expanded coverage of weat
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