On Shaky Ground: An Invitation To Disaster

by John J. Nance

On the heels of T. A. Weppenheimer's The Coming Quake (Nonfiction Forecasts, Aug. 5) appears this excellent study by the author of Blind Trust , in part historical and in part admonitory. Nance goes into detail on the Alaskan quake of 1964, the last major seismic disaster in North America, and also furnishes information on the Mississippi Valley quake of 1811 and the one in Chile in 1960, showing how great the damage can be. He treats the history of seismology and its exponential growth in our century, alluding to two contemporary temblors that were predicted: Haicheng, China, in 1975 and Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1978. But while demonstrating that seismology is becoming an exact science, he also points out that the public is often deaf to the warnings of experts, citing the examples of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and Anchorage, Alaska, where people have rebuilt on ground that has proved to be unsafe. With 39 states of the U.S. declared "significant seismic hazard zones," Nance outlines ways to minimize disaster; his message merits wide attention. Photos not seen by PW. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Ebooks, History

8 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

John J. Nance is an American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author. He served in the USAF during the Vietnam War and also as a Lt. Colonel in Operation Desert Storm.

Reviews

[LindaW]

4⭐️s from DH. Very informative book about the potential for earthquakes anywhere in the US.

[Rick Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

John Nance did a tremendous job researching the history of earthquakes in the World, describing the aftermath of serious quakes, and detailing how far seismologists have come in being able to predict earthquakes. This book was written in 1988 and now it is 2018. Hopefully our government leaders have provided funding for research since this was written. Nance sounded the alarm - did they listen? I hope so.

[Monica Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This really tells an amazing story of how the scientific community learned more about earthquakes...and may soon be able to predict them. Then what? How would you get all those people out of Los Angeles? San Francisco? Nashville? St. Louis?
Trouble is indeed brewing. We all need to be aware of the dangers and the FACT that it will happen...again.

[Michele Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well written book, which should scare the Hell out of you. I’m going to purchase earthquake insurance and if you live in an area with seismic activity, you should too! It’s unfortunate that many of the state’s governments don’t seem to take this seriously. Even if they don’t, you can and should.

[Pat Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding look at the potential threat to America. Well documented and researched. Hopefully the lessons learned from the past won't be forgotten. I would love to see a new edition of this book with current scientific findings included.

[William C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nance clearly lays out need for earthquake protection.

This book clearly describes the urgent need to protect vulnerable areas from earthquakes given the tools we have available. Given my role as an urban planner, to ignore this threat is politically and economically unacceptable.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long-winded, but certainly interesting. The descriptions of earthquakes in the America's are vivid.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in earthquake country, you should read this.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all captivating rather a bore. I couldn’t get into it so I trashed it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history of seismology

Well worth reading. I gave it 5 stars because the subject matter is so important. If you enjoy history, you'll probably love this book. It tells the story of many earthquakes in the last 120 years, most of them in the United States. If you are a fan of disaster fiction, be warned that this book does not have the fast pace of a novel. But then again, it is true! The real-life scientists involved in breakthrough studies are used to propel the narrative, ending with a list of proactive steps community or governmental agencies can take to minimize death and damage from seismic events.

Did you know that 39 of the 50 states are considered high-risk for earthquakes? I live in one of them. I wonder if you do, too.

[Sealove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, books on earthquakes don't sound that exciting. But somehow, this author Manages to weave the story of the people's lives alongside of the technology and science that goes in to such ground shaking phenomena.

I didn't expect to like this book, but I found myself coming back to it over and over again until it was finished.

Afterword, I felt like it was time well spent And I learned a lot.

[Stephanie Leong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book on earthquakes! Every other chapter covers a type of geological earth movement with a chapter that relates an actual earthquake that shows how these quakes affect the area. A must read, especially for those that live in earthquake country.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to complete by John Nance collection.