Decade of disaster /

In this well-written book Larabee attempts to investigate the dynamics and context of disasters created by human activity. The author approaches the study of disasters from the perspective that the impact of a disaster extends well beyond immediate participants, and that the effect on participants extends well beyond coping with the disaster itself. The book is a set of case histories that include the release of methyl isocyanate at Bhopal, India; the Exxon Valdez oil spill; the meltdown of the nuclear facility at Chernobyl in Russia; and the destruction of the Challenger space shuttle in Florida. Larabee pays less attention to the use of atomic weapons on Japan in WW II and the storage of nuclear waste. The author addresses both governmental and public reactions to the potential for disasters. Her points are clearly presented. The book is adequately referenced and indexed. Recommended for public libraries that seek to offer expanded coverage of social issues. R. T. Sigler; University of Alabama