The Doomsday Book: Scenarios for the End of the World

by Joel Levy

This entertaining yet serious book examines the probability of apocalyptic scenarios the world could face in the future. Exploring all types of disasters, including natural crises like flooding, famine, asteroids, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, as well as man-made disasters such as nuclear war, and biological and chemical terrorism, this guide thoroughly evaluates and rates the likelihood of each possible event. A history of previous global catastrophes—the extinction of dinosaurs, the droughts faced by the Mayans, and the poisoning of the Roman Empire—is also included. Concluding chapters investigate ways in which mankind can avoid earth's total destruction.

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2005

About the author

Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specializing in science and history. He is the author of over a dozen books, including The Little Book of Conspiracies and Scientific Feuds: From Galileo to the Human Genome Project. Phobiapedia is his first book for children.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, doomsday. I loves ya. I read this expecting to learn something about the different types of doomsdays that could occur, and it was very close to what I expected. The author's rating system for how likely an event is to take place is a little wonky, but his narrative is straightforward and interesting. Not much referencing to hard science studies, but enough to keep my interest. A few scenarios hadn't been on my radar, so this was good for my love of apocalypse -- a few new areas to look into for fiction reading. I'd like to see an updated edition because this was published in the mid-2000s, so some recent events and climate occurrences certainly aren't addressed. Overall definitely recommended for those whose leisure reading interests are in this area. A quick read and entertainingly written.

[Elisabet · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone like me that is obsessed with apocalyptic scenarios this book will not disappoint. While it is not particularly technical or scientific, it discusses ideas in a pleasantly digestible manner and holds your interest from topic to topic. Light but enjoyable reading.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating reading if you enjoy this kind of thing. must say I was reassured in some areas but then again had trouble sleeping after reading other scenarios. gave me even more to worry about.