"The Blessings of Disaster" - November 2022
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The Lessons That Catastrophes Teach Us and Why Our Future Depends on It
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Are
we doomed? As individuals, certainly, eventually,
inevitably. But as a species? As a civilization? Leading
catastrophe engineer Michel Bruneau thinks perhaps not.
The Blessings of
Disaster draws on knowledge from multiple
disciplines to illustrate how our civilization’s future
successes and failures in dealing with societal threats—be they
pandemics, climate change, overpopulation, monetary collapse,
and nuclear holocaust—can be predicted by observing how we
currently cope with and react to natural and technological
disasters. Maybe most importantly, this entertaining and often
counter-intuitive book shows how we can think in better ways
about disasters, to strengthen and extend our existence as both
individuals and as a species.
When it comes to rare extreme events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, volcanic eruptions, technological accidents, terrorist attacks, pandemics, and even existential threats, it is in our nature to set ourselves up for disasters because the gamble may be worth it. But only maybe…
Hardback: 474 pages
Publisher: Globe Pequot / Prometheus
Language: English
Print Edition:
ISBN-13: 978-1-63388-823-4
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 inches
E-book Edition:
ISBN-13: 978-1-63388-823-1
(Some of the) Reviews
"Michel Bruneau is a master of disaster! Drawing on his
decades of expertise in delving into the mysteries of mayhem,
The Blessings of
Disaster makes the unthinkable thinkable. With
humor and great wisdom, Bruneau takes us on what turns out to be
a hopeful journey to confront a reality that we too often deny;
disasters are neither rare nor unknowable. Along the way he
empowers us to do what we must do; to think anew and act anew in
face of naturally-occurring and human-made hazards. Bruneau
reminds us that while we cannot prevent earthquakes, volcanoes,
hurricanes, and much more from happening, we are not powerless
in mitigating their consequences. He shows us that by
confronting head-on what has always frighten so many of us, we
can become less afraid about the prospect and necessity of
building a more resilient world."
—
Stephen Flynn, Founding Director, Global
Resilience Institute at Northeastern University, and author of
the national bestseller America the Vulnerable
"Michel Bruneau has given readers an
entertaining and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny tour of a deadly
serious topic: hazards and disasters and the ways in which
engineering and scientific discoveries seek to reduce their
impacts. Bruneau takes us through history and around the world
to well-known and less-familiar disaster hot spots and offers
fascinating details about past devastation and looming threats.
A must-read for anyone—general audiences, students, and
specialists alike—wishing to understand the challenges
associated with disaster mitigation and management."
—
Kathleen Tierney, Professor Emerita of Sociology and
former Director of the Natural Hazards Center,
part of the Environment and Society Program in the
Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder
"The central theme of Michel Bruneau’s book, The
Blessings of Disaster, is that “it takes a disaster to
change life for the better”. He approaches his theme with wry,
witty (sometimes sarcastic) discussions of earthquake, wind,
volcanic, tsunamis, climate, population, and nuclear disasters.
His analogies to explain complex concepts and interesting asides
to basic facts add to the readability for both technical and
non-technical readers. The book weaves the effects of politics
and forms of government into how humans react to and prepare for
disasters with speculation on several scenarios for the future.
The Blessings of Disaster is an enjoyable, yet
educational read and a good rant on how we approach the safety
of our infrastructure. "
—
Andrew Herrmann, President Emeritus of the American Society of Civil Engineers,
President Emeritus of the Structural Engineers Institute,
Partner Emeritus, Hardesty & Hanover Consulting Engineers,
and Past member of ASCE’s Advisory Council which produced the
2001, 2003, and 2005 “Report Cards for America’s Infrastructure”
"The Blessing of Disaster by Michel Bruneau is a
must read, touching the lives of everyone! It turns the broad
subject of natural and anthropogenic hazards into exciting and
delightful lessons for us all, for the benefit of all. The book
is thought-provoking and factual, blending eloquently the
physical phenomena behind hazards with human traits and
psychology in response to hazards, and lack thereof that may
turn them into disasters; a lesson for us all to learn. The
author uses his technical expertise on earthquake engineering,
blending it impeccably with other types of natural and
human-induced hazards while bringing personal anecdotes,
sprinkled with his wit, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
The author skillfully weaves through a range of disasters,
ranging from earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis, extreme weather
events all the way through to those caused by technological
hazards, ill-intended acts of terror, financial disasters,
pandemics, climate change, and potential nuclear holocaust.
Exposing remarkable similarities in the way we react to them,
sure to spike your curiosity. The book will make you think
differently about the way you react to disasters, or even
better, act proactively to lessen their impacts. It will be read
for a long time, benefitting its readers, and potentially
enlightening policy makers. This book is a gem to keep in your
library. An exciting and engaging book for all! "
—
Murat Saatcioglu, Distinguished University Professor and
former Director of the Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Management Research Centre,
University of Ottawa, former President of the Canadian Association for
Earthquake Engineering, and
Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers
"In this era of climatic changes, pandemic, and accelerating
natural disasters this book is a fascinating story, from
antiquity to modern times, on how theological, economical,
political, and technological considerations conditioned human
mind reactions and adaptation to "earthquake" type of
events, past, present, and future. Amazingly written with
perspicacity, candor, and humor, with several references about
everyday life, this book will tell you how not to be fooled by
shoddy statistical reasoning while improving your insight to
face the probability, in fact the certainty, of the next "Big
One."
—
P. Léger, Professor, Montreal Technical University and
InterUniversity Research Center for Structures Under Extreme Loads,
and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers
"Engineer Bruneau delivers a hair-rasing survey of
“low-probability high-consequence” events— earthquakes,
hurricanes, pandemics, nuclear war—along with fascinating
insights into the effects of disasters, and why humans are
generally so poorly prepared to deal with them. People continue
living beside volcanoes and in flood zones, he notes, while
governments often delay infrastructure and building-code
upgrades. “It typically takes a disaster to trigger actions
leading to major changes in how the world prepares for and deals
with extreme events,” Bruneau writes. As for the future, the
author encourages readers to approach his predictions with a
“reasonable dose of skepticism”: as climate change worsens, the
population continues to grow, and resources become more scarce,
“many players will have a nuclear arsenal at hand and will not
hesitate to use it, defensively or offensively.” Bruneau has an
easy hand with cutting humor (“As for those brilliant minds who
suggested that tornadoes could be killed using nuclear bombs to
defuse their energy, a sarcastic slow clap is the only possible
response”), and some of the scenarios gamed out will keep
readers up at night. The result is an engrossing study of human
complacency, myopia, and faulty risk perception on a grand
scale. "
—
Publishers Weekly, September 2022 (website)
#8
in TOP TEN "Best books of 2022: Nonfiction": "It’s an
odd but perhaps fittingly paradoxical thing when a book that
hinges on tragic disasters manages to be uplifting, but somehow
Michel Bruneau manages to pull it off. In these pages he looks
at a wide array of catastrophes, everything from earthquake to
floods to hurricane superstorms, and instead of dwelling on the
climate conditions and human short-sightedness that facilitated
many of those disasters, he concentrates instead on what these
crises can teach us about adapting for the future, even if the
future is dark. "
—
SteveReads, January 2023 (Full review
here)
Michel Bruneau's book exhibits an
ability to move beyond obvious disaster scenarios to consider
outcomes more far-reaching and enlightening than the usual
disaster movie, book, or scenario would envision. (…) The
mentality in engineering philosophy is examined, its incarnation
in the world considered, and the human component of creating or
managing disasters is astutely presented in an astute blend of
unexpected wry humor, unerring analysis, and thought-provoking
presentations of engineers and scientists who work hand-in-hand
to address disaster scenarios and outcomes. Surprisingly, the
ultimate effect of The Blessings of Disaster is to offer hope
and new considerations of the ultimate world-changing effects of
disaster management. Libraries and readers interested in
considering these perspectives in a lively history of hot spots
and lethal subjects will find that The Blessings of Disaster
offers plenty of solid science, engineering, and food for
thought and debate.
— Midwest Book Review, September 2023
(Full review
here)
"Bruneau has tucked serious and
rather involved ideas about risk, engineering, safety
and society, as well as life in general, into a book
that is also entertaining. He writes poignantly of the
contradictions of a technologically advanced
civilization with building codes that aim for life
preservation but not the property resilience needed to
prosper after a catastrophe. (...)
I’m grateful to Bruneau for confronting the cultural
and spiritual complications of catastrophe without
tedious proselytizing. Although it can be undermined by
human error, engineering is a rational discipline, as I
see it, but it is a small planet that lives in a galaxy
of human irrationality. The blessings of disasters are
harsh lessons that show much, I’m afraid, about our own
capacity for folly."
—
ENR (Engineering News Record), September 28, 2022 (Full review
here)
"The Blessings of Disaster is not only a book that engineers
will enjoy reading, it is also a book that engineering firms
might consider giving to all their clients. (...)
According to the first canon of engineering codes of ethics
worldwide, engineers shall hold paramount the health, safety and
welfare of the public. However, when it comes to extreme events,
this sometimes seems like protecting the public against
something it does not know exists. Rare are the clients who ask
what level of protection they should purchase against extreme
events. Everyday functionality is the priority, and
understandably so, but not every day is a sunny day. A more
knowledgeable public is a more resilient public, and the book
goes to work here. (...) In short, The blessings of
disaster is a must read by all – engineers and non- engineers
alike – as it is a story of our relationship with disaster. "
—
The Institution of Structural Engineers, November/December Issue, 2022 (Full review
here)
"The Blessings of Disaster is an interesting and unique read:
informative and well versed in research across many different
knowledge areas but very often breezily informal and
deliberately humorous in tone. But never at the expense of
Bruneau’s realism; he has written a work that he hopes people
will learn from — but, by his own admissions, knows they
probably won’t."
—
The
Source, January, 2023 (Full review
here)
"Michel Bruneau shows how our societies often take one
step forward—discovering ways to make structures more resilient
to earthquakes and hurricanes, for example—while taking two
steps back—not requiring such upgrades in building codes.
Despite his own extensive record of highly cited and highly
technical peer-reviewed engineering publications, this book is
free from jargon, equations, and tables of numbers. It uses a
jaunty style alongside personal anecdotes to illustrate core
arguments throughout, setting up a quite readable (and sometimes
funny) narrative. (…) The monograph’s power comes from Bruneau’s
exhaustive knowledge of policy and engineering. (…) This book
provides a readable, deeply informed window into the reasons why
we cycle through disaster after disaster with little meaningful
transformation of our regulations or our risk reduction
strategies."
—
ASCE Natural Hazards Journal, Vol.24, No.4 November 2023,
Review by Daniel
P. Aldrich, Director, Security and Resilience Studies Program,
and Professor, Dept. of Political Science and School of Public
Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University
(Full review
here)
"Michel Bruneau is a bit of a character. I imagine his
lectures on earthquake engineering,
on which he is a
specialist, must have been fun. He writes as most of us
speak, with fluency and engagement. He is happy to quip, just
to be sure the reader has not fallen asleep. (...) What Michel Bruneau exposes in
considerable detail, but with delightfully lucid prose and
plenty of twinkle in his eyes, are the ever-present failures of
learning and unlearning. (…) A treatise on triumph and tragedy.
It is a great read. (…) You will learn a lot about yourself and
your fellow humans in the process."
—
Environment:Science and Policy for Sustainable Development,
Vol.65, No.3, 2023, Review by Tim O’Riordan, Emeritus Professor,
School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia,
Norwich, UK
(Full review
here)
"Bruneau describes the self-delusionary misinterpretation of
statistics that people regularly apply to personal disaster risk
when it conflicts with personal locational preference (...)
Humans have demonstrated an ability to grapple with challenges
and muddle through with a combination of successes and failures
while maintaining a positive slope in the path of progress. “The
Blessings of Disaster” can definitely be a useful guide for such
muddling."
— Journal of Public Works Management &
Policy, June 2023 Issue, Review by Richard G. Little,
Infrastructure Policy Consultant, Visiting Research Scholar at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"This is not a book of hard science. It incorporates many sociological
factors such as human behavior, history, politics, risk, and
even economics in the analysis making it accessible to readers
of many backgrounds and interests.(...)
I highly recommend all emergency managers and emergency
management students read this book. You will gain a better
understanding of the sociological factors influencing human
behaviors that turn hazards into disasters and maybe a few
techniques to help change those behaviors for the better making
for more resilient and safer communities everywhere."
— International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Bulletin, November 2023
(Full review
here)
"Bruneau writes
with wit, irony, and well-crafted figures of speech. It is a
book from which one can enjoyably learn about aspects of the
hazards that will not be found in a textbook or journal paper,
and it is quite readable by the non-engineer or non-scientist.
Bruneau’s thesis is summarized in a conclusion that echoes the
title of the book. The situation is not hopeless: we can learn
from disasters to make them less disastrous. (…) As in
radio or TV broadcasts of sports events, this book is ‘‘color
commentary’’ rather than ‘‘play-by-play’’ reporting. Because it
deals with how individuals and society deal with hazards, it can
be used as an additional source for students to read (…), but
the usual technical terminology and academic tone in the
literature (…) are absent."
— Earthquake Spectra, Earthquake
Engineering Research Institute, January 2024
(Full review
here)
"Important
Transferrable Leadership Lessons For Every Probable Disaster: A
compelling, insightful, thought-provoking, yet entertaining
book, as the author shows the ability to combine well-researched
facts with his unique sense of humour. And I often refer to the
chapter "Truth and Lies about Resilience" to my clients in
executive & leadership positions in global, fast-paced corporate
& entrepreneurial environments who carry lots of responsibility.
Because of the transferrable leadership lessons and a different
perspective, it can bring to their perception of resilience,
which has become an overused buzzword during the last few years.
Even not having a background in structural engineering, I love
the idea of attending a lecture by Professor Bruneau."
—
Lars Friedrich, Executive Leadership Expert, on
Amazon.de, July 2023
"I loved this book. Dr. Bruneau explains the
science/engineering very well, in plain language and with a
conversational tone. Aside from the fascinating topic that
Bruneau brings to life, I loved the writing style, so much so
that it was hard to put the book down. Even the preface is worth
reading. I really felt that he was talking to me over a cup of
coffee. Bruneau also uses a great deal of humor, with some
laugh-out-loud moments. The debunking Bruneau does is excellent.
Overall this is a great book."
—
Amazon, November 2022
"This is a wonderful book that
everyone who is interested in earthquakes, volcanoes,
hurricanes, floods, etc. must read. The author relays the facts
but also writes in a jocular tone that makes his book fun to
read. (...) My overall recommendation is an unqualified thumbs
up!"
—
GoodReads, November 2022
""
—
Amazon, November 2022
"You know that the reader is in for an
interesting ride just by the title. How can disaster be a
blessing? In a thought provoking, well written and convincing
way, the author takes us through the world of disasters (...)
The books has a lot of humour in it which does not water down
the message."
—
GoodReads, January 2023
"Highly recommended"
—
Amazon, June 2023
"I enjoyed The Blessings of Disaster very much. I
hope the book will be read by many, especially by decision
makers. The book is very timely, as society is facing up to some
essential changes.”
— Professor Emeritus Theodore V. Galambos, Member of the
National Academy of Engineering
"I love the sense of humor, turn of phrase, and true
understanding of human nature with respect to disasters and
change. It was such a delight to read. I have been
recommending it to everyone I talk to.”
— Robin A. Kemper PE, President Emeritus of American Society
of Civil Engineers, Senior Risk Engineer, Zurich Resilience
Solutions
"I thoroughly enjoyed it. As well as being eminently readable, the book explains very
clearly what the risks in life are and what can be done about
them - and it predicts what probably will be done. It should be
read by everyone, including engineers. The Blessings of
Disaster is evidently a thought provoking publication.
Thanks for creating it.”
— Peter Buckland, Co-Founder of Buckland & Taylor Ltd.,
Member of the Order of Canada
"I enjoyed reading it. Reading through the wide range of
topics, the historical references and philosophical comments
brought to mind a Freshman class in the Humanities. Our
Professor attempted to teach engineering students the Greek
concept of “Arete” and found very little interest. You are to
be congratulated for being an Arete.”
— Larry Kloiber, Vice-President LeJeune Steel
"J’ai dévoré The blessings of disaster. Quel travail de recherche accompli avec
brio! Merveilleusement bien écrit. Beaucoup d’humour bien placé.
Bravo!"
(Approximate translation: "I devoured
The blessings of disaster. What a brilliantly accomplished piece
of research! Wonderfully well written. Lots of well-placed
humor. Bravo!"
— Denis Beaulieu, President Emeritus of
Canadian Society of Civil Engineering, and former Vice President
of Development and Technology at Laval University
"Amasterpiece crafted in an accessible, non-technical
language brimming with wit and irony. (...) This book is an
invaluable investment for anyone seeking to broaden their
knowledge of various disasters that may impact our lives. I
wholeheartedly recommend it as a compelling and enlightening
read."
—
Narayanan
Subramanian,
Fellow, India National Academy of Engineering - Amazon Review,
February 2024"
"Un des livres les plus captivants que j'ai pu lire dans les
dernières années." (Translation:"One of the most captivating
books I have read in recent years."
—
Jimmy Fortier, Ingenieur en ponts/Bridge Engineer"
Interviews
ASCE Plot Points Podcast:
Part 1:
Why we must learn from disasters (also available on
Apple Podcasts,
Amazon Podcasts,
Stitcher, and
Spotify Podcasts
Part 2:
How we much learn from disasters (also
available on
Apple Podcasts,
Amazon Podcasts,
Stitcher, and
Spotify Podcasts
UB Now: What are the ‘Blessings of Disaster’?
Modern Steel Construction:
Learning From Disaster (or pages 40-41 of the PDF
version
here)
Civil
Magazine:
10 Questions with Michel Bruneau... Professor Seeks to Tell the Stories of Our Relationships with Disaster
in New Book (pages 16 to 21)
Disaster Avoided:
The expert view: the built environment and disaster risk
WECK Radio,
"In Our Community," with Penny Wolfgang,
Broadcast of January 21, 2023
Articles
Structure Magazine,
December 2022 Issue, page 49:
It Takes a Disaster... or
maybe not? Building "Bridges to More Resilient Society
Enterprise Risk Magazine,
Autumn 2023 Issue:
Learning from Disasters: Risk managers know that critical infrastructure
must be protected for businesses to continue to operate after a disaster.
But understanding building codes that underpin the resilience of physical
assets are a case study in how detailed knowledge must inform strategic decision-making
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