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Disaster by Choice: How Our Actions Turn Natural Hazards Into Catastrophes
An earthquake shatters Haiti and a hurricane slices through Texas. We hear that nature runs rampant, seeking to destroy us through these 'natural disasters'. Science recounts a different story, however: disasters are not the consequence of natural causes; they are the consequence of human choices and decisions. we put ourselves in harm's way; we fail to take measures which we know would prevent disasters, no matter what the environment does.
This can be both hard to accept, and hard to unravel. A complex of factors shape disasters. They arise from the political processes dictating where and what we build, and from social circumstances which create and perpetuate poverty and discrimination. They develop from the social preference to blame nature for the damage wrought, when in fact events such as earthquakes and storms are entirely commonplace environmental processes We feel the need to fight natural forces, to reclaim what we assume is ours, and to protect ourselves from what we perceive to be wrath from outside our communities. This attitude distracts us from the real causes of disasters: humanity's decisions, as societies and as individuals. It stops us accepting the real solutions to disasters: making better decisions.
This book explores stories of some of our worst disasters to show how we can and should act to stop people dying when nature unleashes its energies. The disaster is not the tornado, the volcanic eruption, or climate change, but the deaths and injuries, the loss of irreplaceable property, and the lack and even denial of support to affected people, so that a short-term interruption becomes a long-term recovery nightmare. But we can combat this, as Kelman shows, describing inspiring examples of effective human action that limits damage, such as managing flooding in Toronto and villages in Bangladesh, or wildfire in Colorado.
Throughout, his message is clear: there is no such thing as a natural disaster. The disaster lies in our inability to deal with the environment and with ourselves.
This can be both hard to accept, and hard to unravel. A complex of factors shape disasters. They arise from the political processes dictating where and what we build, and from social circumstances which create and perpetuate poverty and discrimination. They develop from the social preference to blame nature for the damage wrought, when in fact events such as earthquakes and storms are entirely commonplace environmental processes We feel the need to fight natural forces, to reclaim what we assume is ours, and to protect ourselves from what we perceive to be wrath from outside our communities. This attitude distracts us from the real causes of disasters: humanity's decisions, as societies and as individuals. It stops us accepting the real solutions to disasters: making better decisions.
This book explores stories of some of our worst disasters to show how we can and should act to stop people dying when nature unleashes its energies. The disaster is not the tornado, the volcanic eruption, or climate change, but the deaths and injuries, the loss of irreplaceable property, and the lack and even denial of support to affected people, so that a short-term interruption becomes a long-term recovery nightmare. But we can combat this, as Kelman shows, describing inspiring examples of effective human action that limits damage, such as managing flooding in Toronto and villages in Bangladesh, or wildfire in Colorado.
Throughout, his message is clear: there is no such thing as a natural disaster. The disaster lies in our inability to deal with the environment and with ourselves.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2020
43 people are currently reading
1509 people want to read
About the author
Ilan Kelman
38 books17 followersIlan Kelman is a Senior Research Fellow based at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo, Norway (CICERO).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 4, 2020
Disaster By Choice is an odd sort of book. Its very reasonable premise is that people choose to undergo disaster and they don’t have to. But the book is mainly a recounting of numerous disasters – fires, floods, volcanos, tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes, in small detail, following people who struggled, or survived, or died.
Ilan Kelman also tells the stories of various cities that figured out they should work with nature and not against it. They raise streets above flood level, make use of floodplains for flooding instead of roads, rails and housing, require tall buildings to be earthquake-proof and so on. Zoning can prevent building on the sides of volcanoes. Power should be well above flood level. Common sense stuff that few implement.
All this is well known, ever changing, and never totally learned. As Kelman points out, nothing stays the same for long. Cities spread, change shape and density and grow too big to shift around. Weather patterns change. Century storms occur with increasing frequency. No one can predict what’s next, but mostly, individuals don’t prepare for anything. It’s a zero priority in a tight budget. They expect to not have to deal with it in their lifetimes, or perhaps expect the authorities to take care of them. And it costs property owners money – maybe for nothing. None of these strategies work. Disasters produce damage and new costs. You never get the Milton Berle situation where a tornado sweeps through New Jersey, causing ten billion dollars in improvements.
Kelman describes rebuilding in the same places, somehow expecting a different outcome next time. He doesn’t mention that France buys up property at risk after a major disaster, preventing rebuilding and emptying whole towns, cutting its losses going forward. It should be his poster child. He found no experts to add light to the dark, didn’t interview anyone about rebuilding on the same spot, and found no trends gaining momentum or worth watching.
At about 140 pages, the book is a fast read, mostly because there’s little new to digest. Disasters are exacerbated by Man’s activities, and Man does almost nothing to mitigate the risk, preferring to learn the hard way every time. There are no broad solutions beyond the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. But there are so many potential disasters to prepare for, I don’t know how to choose. Neither does Kelman.
David Wineberg
Ilan Kelman also tells the stories of various cities that figured out they should work with nature and not against it. They raise streets above flood level, make use of floodplains for flooding instead of roads, rails and housing, require tall buildings to be earthquake-proof and so on. Zoning can prevent building on the sides of volcanoes. Power should be well above flood level. Common sense stuff that few implement.
All this is well known, ever changing, and never totally learned. As Kelman points out, nothing stays the same for long. Cities spread, change shape and density and grow too big to shift around. Weather patterns change. Century storms occur with increasing frequency. No one can predict what’s next, but mostly, individuals don’t prepare for anything. It’s a zero priority in a tight budget. They expect to not have to deal with it in their lifetimes, or perhaps expect the authorities to take care of them. And it costs property owners money – maybe for nothing. None of these strategies work. Disasters produce damage and new costs. You never get the Milton Berle situation where a tornado sweeps through New Jersey, causing ten billion dollars in improvements.
Kelman describes rebuilding in the same places, somehow expecting a different outcome next time. He doesn’t mention that France buys up property at risk after a major disaster, preventing rebuilding and emptying whole towns, cutting its losses going forward. It should be his poster child. He found no experts to add light to the dark, didn’t interview anyone about rebuilding on the same spot, and found no trends gaining momentum or worth watching.
At about 140 pages, the book is a fast read, mostly because there’s little new to digest. Disasters are exacerbated by Man’s activities, and Man does almost nothing to mitigate the risk, preferring to learn the hard way every time. There are no broad solutions beyond the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. But there are so many potential disasters to prepare for, I don’t know how to choose. Neither does Kelman.
David Wineberg
June 19, 2022
"Disasters are caused by vulnerabilities, not hazards! It seems that neither climate nor climate change, by definition, can be or can cause a disaster. For a disaster to occur, vulnerabilities must be present, and they inevitably are. Even where climate change makes hazards worse, or increases the likelihood of extremes, in most cases we could choose to reduce vulnerability to avert disasters."
February 27, 2020
At the heart of Ilan Kelman's book is a striking claim - 'natural' disasters don't really exist. Instead, it's suggested, there are natural hazards and we choose by our actions (or often inactions) whether or not to turn these into disasters.
The book starts really well with a gripping description of the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath. Kelman makes a good job of telling the story and using it to powerful effect. He goes on to effectively describe some of the possible natural hazards that can lead to disasters, this time focusing his story on the mundane-seeming protection of Canvey Island from the Thames and on Australian bushfires (in a book written before 2019's devastating fires). We see how a combination of economics, politics and the human ability to not think to clearly about the future encourages a repeated failure to learn the lessons of past events.
This is no cold, scientific assessment - Kelman does not prevent emotional language from entering his arguments. And that's fine. But about half way through the book, things seem to get rather bogged down. By now we have a good understanding of why some individuals and communities are better prepared than others, but then we first get a rather odd deviation in a discussion of gender and identity politics before the book moves on to solutions - perhaps because they are so difficult, at this stage Kelman seems to lose momentum and flounders about a little. We get yet more examples, where we've had enough of these and want to get on to the practicalities. And the approach to fixing things seems to be just to say 'we all have responsibilities', which isn't a great way to make anything happen.
A book of two halves, then. A great opening deserving of at least four stars - and the idea that we bring disasters on ourselves rather than nature imposing them is a powerful one - but as a book, Disaster by Choice loses its impetus part way through.
The book starts really well with a gripping description of the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath. Kelman makes a good job of telling the story and using it to powerful effect. He goes on to effectively describe some of the possible natural hazards that can lead to disasters, this time focusing his story on the mundane-seeming protection of Canvey Island from the Thames and on Australian bushfires (in a book written before 2019's devastating fires). We see how a combination of economics, politics and the human ability to not think to clearly about the future encourages a repeated failure to learn the lessons of past events.
This is no cold, scientific assessment - Kelman does not prevent emotional language from entering his arguments. And that's fine. But about half way through the book, things seem to get rather bogged down. By now we have a good understanding of why some individuals and communities are better prepared than others, but then we first get a rather odd deviation in a discussion of gender and identity politics before the book moves on to solutions - perhaps because they are so difficult, at this stage Kelman seems to lose momentum and flounders about a little. We get yet more examples, where we've had enough of these and want to get on to the practicalities. And the approach to fixing things seems to be just to say 'we all have responsibilities', which isn't a great way to make anything happen.
A book of two halves, then. A great opening deserving of at least four stars - and the idea that we bring disasters on ourselves rather than nature imposing them is a powerful one - but as a book, Disaster by Choice loses its impetus part way through.
August 27, 2024
As a teacher in a Humanities faculty this was highly recommended by the Geography dept and one of those books you get around to reading in the holidays.
A really interesting read about disasters, vulnerability and the choices people make in regards to them.
Very accessible for a non-specialist and well worth a read
A really interesting read about disasters, vulnerability and the choices people make in regards to them.
Very accessible for a non-specialist and well worth a read
November 24, 2022
Enjoyed this read. It's a great factual overview that's at once depressing and equally motivating. A must read for anyone entering the field of emergency management.
Read
December 10, 2020Everyone should read this book.
Had a bit of a lull recently in reading, and maybe looking for something to read to make sense of 2020; Ilan Kelman perfectly articulates why we need to understand how vulnerability to disasters occurs through a different lens - attributing their frequency and severity to the long term choices of people who have the power/resources/knowledge and abilities to make essential and intrinsic changes - but often not the wisdom, will or principles to do so.
A disaster is not an event at the fault of nature. A disaster is a process manufactured and implemented by societal choices.
Had a bit of a lull recently in reading, and maybe looking for something to read to make sense of 2020; Ilan Kelman perfectly articulates why we need to understand how vulnerability to disasters occurs through a different lens - attributing their frequency and severity to the long term choices of people who have the power/resources/knowledge and abilities to make essential and intrinsic changes - but often not the wisdom, will or principles to do so.
A disaster is not an event at the fault of nature. A disaster is a process manufactured and implemented by societal choices.
February 20, 2022
Read this book since was a recommendation for my Geography A-Level course. Was the first book i read in years but overall i found this book informative and interesting. It's written very clearly, therefore, making it easy to read, can easily recommend :)
October 14, 2024
Overall, this is a thought-provoking and energised book. It’s simplicity and lack of unspecified jargon, makes it ideal for end users, or people coming from an unscientific background. As someone who studies hazards, I found new insights to case studies I have already covered. The key takeaways are evident: vulnerability assessments, preparedness, changing our ways.
As previously mentioned, it is on the simpler side with minimal solutions to the problems discussed. However this is illustrated by the fact that secure solutions are not full proof and in some cases haven’t even met the threshold of theorised. If you are a member of the general public reading this book, yes there are improvements you can make to decrease your vulnerability to hazards, and that is well discussed with these pages.
As previously mentioned, it is on the simpler side with minimal solutions to the problems discussed. However this is illustrated by the fact that secure solutions are not full proof and in some cases haven’t even met the threshold of theorised. If you are a member of the general public reading this book, yes there are improvements you can make to decrease your vulnerability to hazards, and that is well discussed with these pages.
July 17, 2021
I agree with the premise of this book that disasters are a result of human choices. I had focused on individual choices but the author makes a strong case that wider social and political choices are to blame as well. At times the tone veers into the blame it on the rich conservatives which will turn off some readers. The author also mentions competing priorities and costs but seems to blow this off as a simple choice that isn't being appropriately made
September 18, 2024
16-year-old, GCSE-Geography-studying me would have ate this up!
21-year-old me did not.
21-year-old me did not.
January 16, 2023
As the title states Disaster by Choice explains how many of the natural disasters we faced over the last decades were not just "natural" but because of our actions of what we do and how we choose to live makes us vulnerable to these hazards. Kelman writes about some of the ways we make ourselves vulnerable and these range from individual to societal level. On a larger scale, these disasters have higher mortality rates because of racism, ignorance, financial inequality and politics as to why some groups are left helpless in areas where they are the likely victims when it comes to an upcoming disaster. On the other end, Kelman also brings up small examples on how to live in ways that we can prevent these vulnerabilities from taking up casualties. Some of his suggestions would include fixing infrastructures on fault lines, seeking alternatives in renewable energies, and redistributing finances among different government projects and selected individual groups. Yes, much he admits would require a lot of effort to get the ball rolling, but to do so would greatly reduce human suffering.
Although the writing does get repetitive on some areas, the book was informative in revealing the lesser known details on how we live and how we can handle future disasters. I do believe the author is right on certain aspects and that the solution would require major reforms within the government and the resources used in order to reach both a sustainable and safe level of living that the impact won't be as bad as past events have shown us. By managing our environment and our intake do we have a chance to be more prepared for these recurring issues.
Although the writing does get repetitive on some areas, the book was informative in revealing the lesser known details on how we live and how we can handle future disasters. I do believe the author is right on certain aspects and that the solution would require major reforms within the government and the resources used in order to reach both a sustainable and safe level of living that the impact won't be as bad as past events have shown us. By managing our environment and our intake do we have a chance to be more prepared for these recurring issues.
December 3, 2023
Ahhh it was so repetitive and so many things were not referenced + the structure was just not very good
July 5, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it very thought-provoking. I liked that it opened conversations often avoided and very deliberately encouraged questions and answers that academics, governments and general society tend to shy away from. Even simply challenging the irony that 'natural disasters' are defined by their impact and disruption caused to humans. The book explored a wide range of case studies to highlight the influence poverty, discrimination and inadequate governance and poor allocation of monetary funds to tackle societal vulnerabilities. Facing the underlying inequalities and pre-existing inequalities is fundamental to tackling the impact of disasters.
Although I think this book makes a worthwhile contribution to disaster research, I do wonder if its message is slightly idealistic and perhaps a more pragmatic, realistic approach will be necessary to tackle disaster vulnerability on a global scale.
Although I think this book makes a worthwhile contribution to disaster research, I do wonder if its message is slightly idealistic and perhaps a more pragmatic, realistic approach will be necessary to tackle disaster vulnerability on a global scale.
June 19, 2020
Disaster by Choice makes the provocative claim that there is no such thing as a natural disaster – our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2020...
February 17, 2022
an overly long essay with repeated points and many examples
September 4, 2023
I feel like you could just read the book description, as it says the same thing the book says but in 140 pages less.
March 13, 2020
Kelman argues earthquakes do not kill people, collapsing buildings do. Disaster by Choice starts in Haiti. Unfilled promises to ‘build back better’. A power vacuum intensified the Haitians vulnerability with a lack of infrastructure post-disaster leading to widespread disease — including a reappearance of cholera — and sexual violence. Note, calls for compensation for affected communities were unanswered, should they have been provided?
The author argues resilience is an investment over time. He highlights, weak governance structures, over-exploitation, violence, poverty, marginalisation, corruption and poor infrastructure are some other vulnerabilities the Haitian quake and other disasters suffer, which extends the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change definition of vulnerability. Four concepts hold the book together, awareness of nature’s hazards, stories of vulnerability, vulnerability by choice, and making the change.
Disaster relates to the impact on humans. But there is more at stake, as shown by the author. I draw on the story of Australia’s vulnerability to conflagration as they struggled to contain rampant wildfire from spreading over their summer 2019–20 — which threatened human life and devastated flora and fauna. Relevant because Kelman reports the European perspective on bushfires is at times naïve, as it aims to suppress where Aboriginal Australians had managed fires for tens of thousands of years, possibly with a greater awareness of nature’s hazards they leave less fuel for the flame.
‘Fire can be quenched by water’ the author says before a segue to another element and its threat. From coastal engineering where nature’s hazards forced Singapore to build barrages to alleviate the danger of flooding. To London, where new bridge designs along the river Thames result in inhibiting freezing, and altered riverways constrict waters quickening their flow and heightening the risk of flood. An example of vulnerability by choice. The authors’ point is clear. Environmental processes only become hazardous when models fail, which is why preparedness is crucial to response and recovery.
Though there is undoubtedly an asymmetry between understanding of science and nature, science advances to fill our factor of ignorance. As knowledge and learnings to improve management of would-be disasters grows, and stories of vulnerability by choice are ever more widely known. That said, the author asks who is responsible for adding to vulnerability and preventing future disasters — which opens a myriad of complex and varied challenges with inequalities only adding to vulnerabilities.
One remarkable human story of vulnerability and making informed choices referenced by Kelman highlights the vital role hazard awareness plays. Marcos Verela in Costa Rica who remained calm amid an earthquake in 2012 was visually impaired but educated about how to respond by his grandfather, he stayed indoors to avoid falling power lines and other would-be hazards, saving his and his maids life.
Marcos story illustrates the author’s view that education makes a terrific difference even among the greatest at risk. Yet, persistently with epidemics, conflicts, and ‘natural’ disasters, the poorest, woman, children, elderly, and disabled, are most vulnerable, by choice?
Questions of political accountability are critical in considering options. Kelman also highlights ideological voting choices. The cost of post-disaster response needs measuring against a vision of lifesaving action. In essence, we see this highlighted, by the ‘gradual statistical shifts’ in climate change that leads to drought and famine — vulnerability by choice exacerbated by poor planning and infrastructure. But options are unequal. Where we live on fossil fuels to make edible and industrial products we produce climatic disorder, Kelman highlights the wealthy have a choice, with contingency by insurance and capability to relocate, the least well off left and most vulnerable make limited and disparate choices.
Where Kelman looks to the complexity of choices available to vulnerable communities, he provides the example of the Aeta, an indigenous group, who live on Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Before it erupted, and despite being moved by the government to camps, they returned to Mount Pinatubo in number. Notwithstanding limited choices between vulnerabilities, the preference was a self-sufficient lifestyle.
A balance between pushing for self-reliance, local accountability, and national and international management, is required in making the change. Following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then Zaire, the author highlights camps set up for refugees on the nearest flatland which happened to be hardened lava until the nearby volcano erupted. The ‘displaced became re-displaced’ further complicating the migration settlement process already vulnerable contending with ongoing conflict — another example of vulnerability by choice with limited options.
Though raw data and referenced academic material are limited, the author draws of a wealth of expertise and makes up for this deficit with practical case examples from stories of vulnerability by choice, Ebola epidemics, to making a change in Toronto’s green spaces used to mitigate anticipated flood damage.
Is the author too optimistic concerning his call to a lack of expenditure on development aid? Comparably, it represents one-tenth of global military spend. No. This question lies on the fault line of vulnerability by choice and making a change. Where local, national, and global preparedness can save human lives, Kelman asks vital ethical questions about our priorities. But, further outlying questions, were compensation available, for who when a disaster turns to catastrophe, and to what end — short term fixes or significant investment to build more comprehensive resilience?
I take the view of turning information and awareness of nature’s hazards to harness change, preparing our built and living environments and acting with providence to vulnerability. Keen not only to respond when hazard turns to disaster, but to also prepare, plan, and be prudent. Which speaks to the quote on the book cover ‘how our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes’.
This 154-page read, rich in content from climate change to comets, urges the philosophy of Disaster by Choice.
Review by Theo Richardson-Gool
The author argues resilience is an investment over time. He highlights, weak governance structures, over-exploitation, violence, poverty, marginalisation, corruption and poor infrastructure are some other vulnerabilities the Haitian quake and other disasters suffer, which extends the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change definition of vulnerability. Four concepts hold the book together, awareness of nature’s hazards, stories of vulnerability, vulnerability by choice, and making the change.
Disaster relates to the impact on humans. But there is more at stake, as shown by the author. I draw on the story of Australia’s vulnerability to conflagration as they struggled to contain rampant wildfire from spreading over their summer 2019–20 — which threatened human life and devastated flora and fauna. Relevant because Kelman reports the European perspective on bushfires is at times naïve, as it aims to suppress where Aboriginal Australians had managed fires for tens of thousands of years, possibly with a greater awareness of nature’s hazards they leave less fuel for the flame.
‘Fire can be quenched by water’ the author says before a segue to another element and its threat. From coastal engineering where nature’s hazards forced Singapore to build barrages to alleviate the danger of flooding. To London, where new bridge designs along the river Thames result in inhibiting freezing, and altered riverways constrict waters quickening their flow and heightening the risk of flood. An example of vulnerability by choice. The authors’ point is clear. Environmental processes only become hazardous when models fail, which is why preparedness is crucial to response and recovery.
Though there is undoubtedly an asymmetry between understanding of science and nature, science advances to fill our factor of ignorance. As knowledge and learnings to improve management of would-be disasters grows, and stories of vulnerability by choice are ever more widely known. That said, the author asks who is responsible for adding to vulnerability and preventing future disasters — which opens a myriad of complex and varied challenges with inequalities only adding to vulnerabilities.
One remarkable human story of vulnerability and making informed choices referenced by Kelman highlights the vital role hazard awareness plays. Marcos Verela in Costa Rica who remained calm amid an earthquake in 2012 was visually impaired but educated about how to respond by his grandfather, he stayed indoors to avoid falling power lines and other would-be hazards, saving his and his maids life.
Marcos story illustrates the author’s view that education makes a terrific difference even among the greatest at risk. Yet, persistently with epidemics, conflicts, and ‘natural’ disasters, the poorest, woman, children, elderly, and disabled, are most vulnerable, by choice?
Questions of political accountability are critical in considering options. Kelman also highlights ideological voting choices. The cost of post-disaster response needs measuring against a vision of lifesaving action. In essence, we see this highlighted, by the ‘gradual statistical shifts’ in climate change that leads to drought and famine — vulnerability by choice exacerbated by poor planning and infrastructure. But options are unequal. Where we live on fossil fuels to make edible and industrial products we produce climatic disorder, Kelman highlights the wealthy have a choice, with contingency by insurance and capability to relocate, the least well off left and most vulnerable make limited and disparate choices.
Where Kelman looks to the complexity of choices available to vulnerable communities, he provides the example of the Aeta, an indigenous group, who live on Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Before it erupted, and despite being moved by the government to camps, they returned to Mount Pinatubo in number. Notwithstanding limited choices between vulnerabilities, the preference was a self-sufficient lifestyle.
A balance between pushing for self-reliance, local accountability, and national and international management, is required in making the change. Following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then Zaire, the author highlights camps set up for refugees on the nearest flatland which happened to be hardened lava until the nearby volcano erupted. The ‘displaced became re-displaced’ further complicating the migration settlement process already vulnerable contending with ongoing conflict — another example of vulnerability by choice with limited options.
Though raw data and referenced academic material are limited, the author draws of a wealth of expertise and makes up for this deficit with practical case examples from stories of vulnerability by choice, Ebola epidemics, to making a change in Toronto’s green spaces used to mitigate anticipated flood damage.
Is the author too optimistic concerning his call to a lack of expenditure on development aid? Comparably, it represents one-tenth of global military spend. No. This question lies on the fault line of vulnerability by choice and making a change. Where local, national, and global preparedness can save human lives, Kelman asks vital ethical questions about our priorities. But, further outlying questions, were compensation available, for who when a disaster turns to catastrophe, and to what end — short term fixes or significant investment to build more comprehensive resilience?
I take the view of turning information and awareness of nature’s hazards to harness change, preparing our built and living environments and acting with providence to vulnerability. Keen not only to respond when hazard turns to disaster, but to also prepare, plan, and be prudent. Which speaks to the quote on the book cover ‘how our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes’.
This 154-page read, rich in content from climate change to comets, urges the philosophy of Disaster by Choice.
Review by Theo Richardson-Gool
November 30, 2024
“Human choices cause disasters, so human choices can prevent disasters.”
I love the ethos of the book and the detailed research behind understanding WHY disasters happen the way they do and what could or could not have been done differently. I have underlined many excerpts and annotated them, showing that I find the content both revealing and interesting. There are great lessons, but… I have a major quip with how the book is written. Especially how it’s ordered.
Rather than it seeming to me that its simply reiterating the core point that disasters only happen when human vulnerabilities are not addressed ahead of time, it sometimes feels more like you are going in circles around this idea. Looking at it from different angles but with no clear path and finding yourself retracing your own steps thinking “I’ve seen that tree before”. Some of the stories also carry on in detail for much longer than they need, only showing the detailed research of the writer rather than act as interesting factoids.
It feels like there is no linear exploration of the topic (geographically, chronologically, nor even by disaster). I dont mean that things need to be linear, but I do need some plan or method. You find yourself jumping constantly between disasters around the world and in different magnitudes, jumping from miss management to success back to disaster. Telling a non-fiction book in this way makes it confusing to draw a consistent learning journey as a reader.
March 5, 2021
Illan Kelman posits that there's nearly no such thing as a natural disaster, because virtually all disaster are a result of humans not making adequate preparations. He allows for some outliers, like ice ages, supervolcano eruptions, and asteroid impacts, but otherwise puts the onus of calamities squarely on our shoulders. A reader can understand Kelman's belief, to a point: an ice storm that hits a city like Boston with the resources and knowledge to prepare for it will be perceived very differently than an ice storm that hits say, Houston. Most of the book consists of evaluations of various disasters, and the human-generated risk factors involved: we built on infill land, we put in levees and assume they won't break, we pretend earthquakes only ever happen in California and never in New England, etc. Part of this owes to humanity's perennial short-sightedness: was it Hegel or Twain who commented that the only thing we learn from history is that we don't? But politicians also neglect basic maintenance and subsidize poor decisions, like bankrolling flood insurance for homeowners who want to live on the beach but don't want to cover the risk themselves. Even if we live in hazardous areas, preparations can be made to make people living there far less vulnerable. I appreciated Kelman's perspective, especially in light of the last year.
January 1, 2025
#bookrecommendation from an #emergencymanagement #booknerd
I received this gem from Santa and highly recommended this quick read for 2025!!! At only six chapters and 154 pages, this book offers insightful and thought-provoking words surrounding the truth and reality of vulnerability.
Disaster by Choice illustrates the disaster dilemma of our vulnerable world with captivating events, big and small, highlighting, "disasters are designed by social impacts, not the degree or scope of influence by nature."
Disaster has been formed by man - poverty, inequality, lack of building code, inability or ignorance to be proactive - over many years. Some 300 years in the making. Without a system or authority for #riskmanagement or #resilience for the entire community, disasters will continue to be built.
This book encourages change the Western philosophy of control. It crystallizes the ideas about the influence and impact of human actions [or inactions] on natural hazards.
In the end, the reader concludes that there is no such thing as a natural disaster, only human choices.
I received this gem from Santa and highly recommended this quick read for 2025!!! At only six chapters and 154 pages, this book offers insightful and thought-provoking words surrounding the truth and reality of vulnerability.
Disaster by Choice illustrates the disaster dilemma of our vulnerable world with captivating events, big and small, highlighting, "disasters are designed by social impacts, not the degree or scope of influence by nature."
Disaster has been formed by man - poverty, inequality, lack of building code, inability or ignorance to be proactive - over many years. Some 300 years in the making. Without a system or authority for #riskmanagement or #resilience for the entire community, disasters will continue to be built.
This book encourages change the Western philosophy of control. It crystallizes the ideas about the influence and impact of human actions [or inactions] on natural hazards.
In the end, the reader concludes that there is no such thing as a natural disaster, only human choices.
December 10, 2023
I love how the whole book is summarised in one paragraph at the end. If I only read that, it would have saved me pushing through to finish this book. I really liked the examples used in this book, and discussing all the various vulnerabilities which sometimes we don't even think about. In general, it gave a very good perspective. Though, it just dragged on, he repeats his point that vulnerabilities are bad, people allow disasters to happen etc. like every paragraph. The book was a bit all over the place, but overall I'd say it's worth the read if you borrow the book from a library or teacher (like I did).
August 24, 2023
I’d probably give this 3.5 stars. It reads like an academic essay, so it is a little dense but it has a lot of good information in it about historical hazards that are interesting to read. I studied disaster management and I work in emergency management, so the concepts in this book are not necessarily new to me. However, if you are new to hazard or emergency research it will probably shed some interesting light into vulnerabilities and why disasters are generally not natural. Good read over all, just a little dense, so don’t expect a light read.
November 27, 2025
This had a really strong start and the examples used were pretty insightful, I think my issue with this is I don’t find the writing style particularly engaging. I think it’s far too much of a word salad in certain areas and pretty repetitive in others. The main message of the book is a very eye-opening way of looking at natural disasters though and the thesis I think deserves far more recognition in the field.
February 19, 2021
His perspective of the relationship between natural disasters and people seemed a bit off to me. Disasters are caused for a range of reasons not just because humans aren’t treating the planet well. Other than that, the case studies were a great read and encouraged lots of further research from myself.
March 8, 2022
This is an excellent, highly readable analysis of planning, development, social and lifestyle choices which lead to vulnerabilities and therefore disasters when natural hazards occur. Written by an extremely knowledgeable author, yet delivered smoothly and concisely. This would make an excellent resource for college-level disaster, geography, and/or development courses.
May 26, 2020
A very well sourced book that addresses how humanity exacerbates any destructive natural occurrence by stubbornly refusing to take the steps and precautions to help mitigate these events. It makes great points, but sadly I do not think the people that need to read it will.
February 5, 2021
The author's thesis (that disasters are the product of societal choices about policies, investments, and education) is correct. Dr. Kelman gives good proof through historical example. The book is an easy read and I recommend it for disaster, emergency management, urban planning, and policy wonks.
November 27, 2021
I had higher expectations for this book published by Oxford.
It offers few few policy options or prescriptions and fewer examples of what communities are doing to reduce their vulnerability to disasters.
It offers few few policy options or prescriptions and fewer examples of what communities are doing to reduce their vulnerability to disasters.
October 28, 2023
Kelman makes his point well and their are plenty of natural hazard/disaster facts for a geographer to love woven throughout the narrative. However, one gets that lamentable feeling that nothing need have been lost from Kelman’s argument were the book capped at a mere 100 pages.
August 25, 2020
Great for A-Level or IB students or anyone that hasn't studied geography beyond KS4. Good for geography teachers looking for examples to use with students.
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