Based on years of research, this is one of the first books to scientifically evaluate human responses in the face of disasters in ways that that will inform emergency response teams and teach them how to anticipate human response. Four original short stories introduce readers to the human side of disaster; each one is rooted in actual events surrounding a particular disaster. The stories look at how attention to preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation affect outcome and consider whether one can even predict how any two people will respond. The book also looks at long term effects and issues of recovery.