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Dangerous Planet: Natural Disasters That Changed History
Did a meteorite wipe out the dinosaurs and allow for human evolution? Did an earthquake usher in the rise of Greek civilization? Did a snowstorm help create the New York subway? The answer to all these questions is a resounding yes! Over and over again, natural disasters have influenced the course of human history in ways great and small. From the Great Fire of London to the Great Kanto Quake, Bryn Barnard describes ten key moments when natural disasters have played a significant role in shaping our history. Highlighted with vivid and meticulously researched illustrations, Dangerous Planet demonstrates the mighty force of planet Earth–and the role humanity must play in its survival
- GenresNonfictionHistory
48 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 8, 2020
THE TITLE SAYS ALOT.
Very educational and worth the read. I learned a lot.
It tells a lot of history that starts from the disappearance of dinosaurs to the present. It starts off with the time of dinosaurs, followed by The Bronze Age Cultures, Empires that died, the Hundred Year Wars period (that lasted 116 years I didn't know or just forgot) ....... the list goes on up to today.
Very educational and worth the read. I learned a lot.
It tells a lot of history that starts from the disappearance of dinosaurs to the present. It starts off with the time of dinosaurs, followed by The Bronze Age Cultures, Empires that died, the Hundred Year Wars period (that lasted 116 years I didn't know or just forgot) ....... the list goes on up to today.
February 19, 2019
Good collection of events and effects.
December 27, 2020
A brief description of various disasters in human history.
March 17, 2010
If I were still 9 years old, I would have loved this book. Its illustrations are fantastic, and the subject matter opens your mind beyond the short-sighted modern history that we myopically assume to be the status quo from this point forth. In truth, 50 years of modern recollection doesn't encompass give us a whole lot of insight on the next 50 years - our world operates on time scales much larger. It's good to remind people that natural extremes have changed the course of history before, and will again.
That said, there are a couple times when Barnard's common-sense-o-meter failed to screen out some urban legends. For instance, while acknowledging that hail typical ranges from peas to baseballs in size, he passes along a story about an elephant sized chunk that purportedly fell in India. Yes, there are always outliers...but not 2000 standard deviation outliers! We'll get a major earthquake again, to be certain, but not a magnitude 11 - there are natural limits that bound disasters, and it'd be good to reign in some sensationalism before people start claiming that we've somehow neglected to notice planet sized bodies of rock that have earth crossing orbits in the next 2 years (ala Nibiru)!
This book generally does well at expanding ones' mind to the possibilities. It's geared mostly toward kids, but shoot, a collaborative project with some more in depth analysis and larger sample set...man, that's a good I'd love.
That said, there are a couple times when Barnard's common-sense-o-meter failed to screen out some urban legends. For instance, while acknowledging that hail typical ranges from peas to baseballs in size, he passes along a story about an elephant sized chunk that purportedly fell in India. Yes, there are always outliers...but not 2000 standard deviation outliers! We'll get a major earthquake again, to be certain, but not a magnitude 11 - there are natural limits that bound disasters, and it'd be good to reign in some sensationalism before people start claiming that we've somehow neglected to notice planet sized bodies of rock that have earth crossing orbits in the next 2 years (ala Nibiru)!
This book generally does well at expanding ones' mind to the possibilities. It's geared mostly toward kids, but shoot, a collaborative project with some more in depth analysis and larger sample set...man, that's a good I'd love.
June 2, 2008
Summary(CIP): Describes specific occurrences of natural disasters, such as meteor impacts, landslides, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, and their impact on human history.
REVIEW: Showing how history intersects with the effects of the natural world – be it fires, earthquakes, storms, or meteoric impacts – makes for a great resource for classroom discussions, readers advisory, and those nonfiction aficionados. In Darwinian fashion, the author points out the ecological or social openings that occur after a natural disaster and that cause reactive changes in humans, positively or negatively. The use of catchy subheadings such as ‘You must try the rat flambé” or “Whoops” for the accidental Great Fire of London will appeal to many upper elementary and middle school students, but disturbed the Hornbook reviewer. The oversized format allows for large paintings and maps; a bibliography and web sources are included.
Booklist: Starred Review.
"Teachers will find many uses for this, but the book is so engaging it will also attract browsers--and hold them."
SLJ: Positive.
"An interesting look at nine disasters. The readable text describes each occurrence and discusses how the course of history was affected by it, and to what degree."
REVIEW: Showing how history intersects with the effects of the natural world – be it fires, earthquakes, storms, or meteoric impacts – makes for a great resource for classroom discussions, readers advisory, and those nonfiction aficionados. In Darwinian fashion, the author points out the ecological or social openings that occur after a natural disaster and that cause reactive changes in humans, positively or negatively. The use of catchy subheadings such as ‘You must try the rat flambé” or “Whoops” for the accidental Great Fire of London will appeal to many upper elementary and middle school students, but disturbed the Hornbook reviewer. The oversized format allows for large paintings and maps; a bibliography and web sources are included.
Booklist: Starred Review.
"Teachers will find many uses for this, but the book is so engaging it will also attract browsers--and hold them."
SLJ: Positive.
"An interesting look at nine disasters. The readable text describes each occurrence and discusses how the course of history was affected by it, and to what degree."
October 26, 2010
Totally fascinating little vignettes, chockfull of derivations and interesting connections. Just enough information. Way fun. Totally fascinating very short pieces about meteor impacts, typhoons, mudslides, volcanic eruptions, etc., that happened at just the right time to help defeat a particular enemy, destroy a crucial fleet of ships, and otherwise mess with human history.
March 15, 2008
Cool book for upper-elementary kids on the historical impact of natural disasters. Would England be in control of France today if not for a hailstorm? Did a blizzard result in the creation of the New York City subway system? Full of fun facts.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews