California's Deadliest Earthquakes

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Publisher : Arcadia Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1439660824
Total Pages : 169 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (396 download)

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Book Synopsis California's Deadliest Earthquakes by : Abraham Hoffman

Download or read book California's Deadliest Earthquakes written by Abraham Hoffman and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2017-06-26 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed look at the state’s most terrifying and destructive disasters—photos included. Home to hundreds of faults, California leads the nation in frequency of earthquakes every year. And despite enduring their share of the natural disasters, residents still speculate over the inevitable “big one.” More than three thousand people lost their lives during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Long Beach’s 1933 earthquake caused nearly $50 million in damages. And the Northridge earthquake injured thousands and left a $550 million economic hit. In this book, historian Abraham Hoffman explores the personal accounts and aftermath of California’s most destructive tremors.

California’s Deadliest Earthquakes: A History

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Author :
Publisher : Arcadia Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1467136026
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (671 download)

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Book Synopsis California’s Deadliest Earthquakes: A History by : Abraham Hoffman

Download or read book California’s Deadliest Earthquakes: A History written by Abraham Hoffman and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2017 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home to hundreds of faults, California leads the nation in frequency of earthquakes every year. Despite enduring their share of the natural disasters, residents still speculate over the inevitable big one. More than three thousand people lost their lives during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Long Beach's 1933 earthquake caused a loss of nearly $50 million in damages. And the Northridge earthquake injured thousands and left a $550 million economic hit. Historian Abraham Hoffman explores the personal accounts and aftermath of California's most destructive tremors.

1906 San Francisco Earthquake

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781637163672
Total Pages : 58 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (636 download)

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Book Synopsis 1906 San Francisco Earthquake by : Captivating History

Download or read book 1906 San Francisco Earthquake written by Captivating History and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-06 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did you know that the 1906 San Francisco earthquake is thought to be one of the deadliest earthquakes in history? In the early morning of April 18th, 1906, in San Francisco, California, the ground heaved up. Buildings swayed like blades of grass and collapsed, and soon after, fires consumed everything in their path. It is believed that around three thousand people died, and almost all those left standing after the ground settled had become homeless. This book will take you on a journey of one of the most terrible earthquakes in recorded history. You will discover stories of average citizens just trying to survive and those courageous enough to face danger, whether it be fire or collapsing buildings. From the initial panic to battling crisis after crisis to incredible aftermath, the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake shows that history can be more captivating than fiction. In this book, you will learn about: The moment the quake hit and its immediate aftermath The terrifying fires that ripped through the city How dynamite saved the city from more damage Real eyewitness accounts of horrors, heroes, and heartbreaks How the city banded together to save itself and begin to rebuild Scroll up and click the "add to cart" button to learn more about the history of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake!

The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 & the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781985762480
Total Pages : 148 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (624 download)

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Book Synopsis The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 & the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 & the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-21 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the disasters made by survivors, firefighters, police officers, and more *Includes bibliographies for further reading *Includes a table of contents On April 18, 1906, most of the residents of the city of San Francisco were sound asleep when the ground started to shake around 5:15 a.m., but what started as fairly soft tremors turned into a violent shaking in all directions. The roar of the earthquake unquestionably woke up residents, at least those fortunate enough not to be immediately swallowed by the cracks opening up in the ground. The earthquake lasted about a minute, but it had enough destructive force to divert the course of entire rivers and level much of the 9th largest city in America at the time. Unfortunately for San Franciscans, the worst was yet to come. During the earthquake, the city's gas mains and water mains were ruptured, which had the effects of starting a number of fires and preventing the residents from being equipped to fight them. Without water to truly fight the blaze, the city's officials actually resorted to demolishing buildings in hopes of containing the fire, and witnesses reported seeing San Franciscans trapped in the burning buildings being shot by authorities instead of letting them burn alive. The fires lasted three days, and by the time they were done, 80% of the city was in ruins, about 60% of the residents were homeless, and an estimated 3,000-6,000 were dead. In fact, the fires were so devastating that contemporary San Franciscans called the disaster "The Fire." Although the resulting fires may have done the most damage, the widespread destruction made clear to city leaders that the new buildings would need better safety codes and protection against subsequent earthquakes. The city reinforced new buildings against earthquakes and fixed older surviving buildings to better deal with future earthquakes, and the city also created the Auxiliary Water Supply System to prevent a repeat of the 1906 disaster. On October 17, 1989, millions of Americans tuning in to watch the Oakland Athletics face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series watched the cameras suddenly start to shake violently for several seconds. The national broadcast had just caught an earthquake registering a 6.9 on the Richter scale striking the Bay Area, and by the time the earthquake and the resulting fires were over and dealt with, over 60 people were dead, making it San Francisco's deadliest earthquake since the 1906 earthquake and fire. The damage and devastation across the Bay Area was widespread, despite the precautions and changes that the region had made in the wake of the 1906 calamity. After that disaster, San Francisco began the process of reinforcing new buildings and seismic retrofitting of old ones to help structures brace for earthquakes, but even in the 1980s they were still more concerned about potential fires resulting from an earthquake. Furthermore, after the earthquake in 1906, San Francisco created an Auxiliary Water Supply System that could distribute water to any section of the city, and the city built it with stringent codes in the event of an earthquake. In fact, just a few years before 1989, San Francisco created a Portable Water Supply System and upgraded the fire departments. San Francisco's water supply systems worked perfectly, quickly allowing firefighters to put out a fire in the Marina District before it spread, but this time the biggest problem was "liquefaction," in which saturated soil literally melted away as it was unable to hold any more liquid. The shaking of the earthquake then created cracks in the liquefied soil, and attempts to protect buildings from the violent movements could not safeguard them from the land melting away from under it. The most noteworthy damage occurred to several sections of highways in the Bay Area that did not hold up during the earthquake.

Destructive and Near-destructive Earthquakes in California and Western Nevada, 1769-1933

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 32 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Destructive and Near-destructive Earthquakes in California and Western Nevada, 1769-1933 by : Harry Oscar Wood

Download or read book Destructive and Near-destructive Earthquakes in California and Western Nevada, 1769-1933 written by Harry Oscar Wood and published by . This book was released on 1934 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Earthquake Country

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Publisher : American Traveler Press
ISBN 13 : 9781558381209
Total Pages : 52 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (812 download)

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Book Synopsis Earthquake Country by : Eleanor H. Ayer

Download or read book Earthquake Country written by Eleanor H. Ayer and published by American Traveler Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Striking full-colour guides. Bound in water repellent, film laminated covers. Extensive centre-spread maps of the state highlights locations featured in each book. Special 8-pocket and 4-pocket lucite display racks available with purchase of the series.

Preparing for California's Earthquakes

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780608201320
Total Pages : 132 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Preparing for California's Earthquakes by : Alan J. Wyner

Download or read book Preparing for California's Earthquakes written by Alan J. Wyner and published by . This book was released on with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Magnitude 8

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Publisher : Henry Holt and Company
ISBN 13 : 1466864311
Total Pages : 452 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis Magnitude 8 by : Philip L. Fradkin

Download or read book Magnitude 8 written by Philip L. Fradkin and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magnitude 8 is the archetypal natural disaster defined. To understand the cataclysmic earthquake that will tear California apart one day, Philip L. Fradkin has written a dramatic history of earthquakes and an eloquent guide to the San Andreas Fault, the world's best-known tectonic landscape. The author includes vivid stories of earthquakes elsewhere: in New England, the central Mississippi River Valley, New York City, Europe, and the Far East. Always, he combines human and natural drama to place the reader at the epicenter of the most instantaneous and unpredictable of all the Earth's phenomena. Following the San Andreas Fault from Cape Mecino to Mexico--canoeing the fault line in northern California and walking underground through the Hollywood fault--noted environmental historian Philip L. Fradkin reclaims the human dimensions of earthquakes from the science-dominated accounts.

The Big One

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Publisher : Forbes Press
ISBN 13 : 9780970972507
Total Pages : 382 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (725 download)

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Book Synopsis The Big One by : George Pararas-Carayann

Download or read book The Big One written by George Pararas-Carayann and published by Forbes Press. This book was released on 2001-03 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A book about earthquakes--how, when, and where the next big one may strike.

California, Earthquakes and Jews

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780914615156
Total Pages : 267 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (151 download)

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Book Synopsis California, Earthquakes and Jews by : William M. Kramer

Download or read book California, Earthquakes and Jews written by William M. Kramer and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Why Fish Don't Exist

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501160370
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Fish Don't Exist by : Lulu Miller

Download or read book Why Fish Don't Exist written by Lulu Miller and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Best Book of 2020: The Washington Post * NPR * Chicago Tribune * Smithsonian A “remarkable” (Los Angeles Times), “seductive” (The Wall Street Journal) debut from the new cohost of Radiolab, Why Fish Don’t Exist is a dark and astonishing tale of love, chaos, scientific obsession, and—possibly—even murder.​ “At one point, Miller dives into the ocean into a school of fish…comes up for air, and realizes she’s in love. That’s how I felt: Her book took me to strange depths I never imagined, and I was smitten.” —The New York Times Book Review David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would be credited with discovering nearly a fifth of the fish known to humans in his day. But the more of the hidden blueprint of life he uncovered, the harder the universe seemed to try to thwart him. His specimen collections were demolished by lightning, by fire, and eventually by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake—which sent more than a thousand discoveries, housed in fragile glass jars, plummeting to the floor. In an instant, his life’s work was shattered. Many might have given up, given in to despair. But Jordan? He surveyed the wreckage at his feet, found the first fish that he recognized, and confidently began to rebuild his collection. And this time, he introduced one clever innovation that he believed would at last protect his work against the chaos of the world. When NPR reporter Lulu Miller first heard this anecdote in passing, she took Jordan for a fool—a cautionary tale in hubris, or denial. But as her own life slowly unraveled, she began to wonder about him. Perhaps instead he was a model for how to go on when all seemed lost. What she would unearth about his life would transform her understanding of history, morality, and the world beneath her feet. Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don’t Exist is a wondrous fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.

Preparing for California's Earthquakes

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 138 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis Preparing for California's Earthquakes by : Alan J. Wyner

Download or read book Preparing for California's Earthquakes written by Alan J. Wyner and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781985762565
Total Pages : 76 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-21 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the earthquake and fires *Includes a bibliography for further reading "[I]t does not seem to have affected any one with a sense of final destruction, with any foreboding of irreparable disaster. Every one is talking of it this afternoon, and no one is in the least degree dismayed. I have talked and listened in two clubs, watched people in cars and in the street, and one man is glad that Chinatown will be cleared out for good; another's chief solicitude is for Millet's 'Man with the Hoe.' 'They'll cut it out of the frame,' he says, a little anxiously. 'Sure.' But there is no doubt anywhere that San Francisco can be rebuilt, larger, better, and soon. Just as there would be none at all if all this New York that has so obsessed me with its limitless bigness was itself a blazing ruin. I believe these people would more than half like the situation." - H.G. Wells On April 18, 1906, most of the residents of the city of San Francisco were sound asleep when the ground started to shake around 5:15 a.m., but what started as fairly soft tremors turned into a violent shaking in all directions. The roar of the earthquake unquestionably woke up residents, at least those fortunate enough not to be immediately swallowed by the cracks opening up in the ground. The earthquake lasted about a minute, but it had enough destructive force to divert the course of entire rivers and level much of the 9th largest city in America at the time. Unfortunately for San Franciscans, the worst was yet to come. During the earthquake, the city's gas mains and water mains were ruptured, which had the effects of starting a number of fires and preventing the residents from being equipped to fight them. Without water to truly fight the blaze, the city's officials actually resorted to demolishing buildings in hopes of containing the fire, and witnesses reported seeing San Franciscans trapped in the burning buildings being shot by authorities instead of letting them burn alive. The fires lasted three days, and by the time they were done, 80% of the city was in ruins, about 60% of the residents were homeless, and an estimated 3,000-6,000 were dead. In fact, the fires were so devastating that contemporary San Franciscans called the disaster "The Fire." Although the resulting fires may have done the most damage, the widespread destruction made clear to city leaders that the new buildings would need better safety codes and protection against subsequent earthquakes. The city reinforced new buildings against earthquakes and fixed older surviving buildings to better deal with future earthquakes, and the city also created the Auxiliary Water Supply System to prevent a repeat of the 1906 disaster. At the same time, there was a determined sense of resolve to rebuild San Francisco into a bigger and better city, and financial assistance flowed to the shattered city from all across the country. Even as refugee camps were set up in parks and sheltered people for a few years, the U.S. Army and other volunteers helped provide for the people, and despite suffering damage amounting to the equivalent of over $6 billion in today's dollars, California governor George C. Pardee was right when he predicted, "This is not the first time that San Francisco has been destroyed by fire, I have not the slightest doubt that the City by the Golden Gate will be speedily rebuilt, and will, almost before we know it, resume her former great activity." The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906: The Deadliest Earthquake in American History chronicles the deadliest natural disaster in California's history and one of the most important seismic events on record. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 like never before, in no time at all.

California Disasters

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Publisher : Farcountry Press
ISBN 13 : 1560378778
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis California Disasters by : Phyllis J. Perry

Download or read book California Disasters written by Phyllis J. Perry and published by Farcountry Press. This book was released on 2022-01-31 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is often said that California has four seasons: drought, flood, fire, and earthquakes. Certainly, the Golden State has experienced an abundance of these disasters in its history. The twenty-four chapters in this illustrated book highlights some of the major events that have occurred in the state. Some of these disasters occurred long ago, while others document recent events. Some are well-known, such as the snow-trapped Donner Party of 1846 and the unforgettable fire and earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Others are less familiar, such as the wreck of the paddle ship Brother Jonathan in 1865 or the fire at the Argonaut Mine in 1922. Included are disasters involving ships, planes, trains, and cars while others deal with tsunamis, dust storms, floods, and the collapses of bridges and dams. Some, like the shark attacks along the California coast, happen year after year and affect only a few. Other recurring disasters, like summer wildfires, claim dozens of lives and hundreds of structures, destroy wildlife, devastate miles of land, and even wipe out whole towns. The spectacular eruption of Lassen Peak has occurred only once. Although disasters usually bring loss, they sometimes bring us hard-won knowledge that may prevent future similar tragedies. Out of each disaster, acts of heroism, bravery, and compassion occur as individuals and groups attempt to aid victims in need. Illustrated with black & white archival photos. Featuring true stories researched and written about the most dramatic and diverse disasters from the Golden State. Includes natural and man-made disasters dating from 1771 to 2020.

The Library Book

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1476740208
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (767 download)

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Book Synopsis The Library Book by : Susan Orlean

Download or read book The Library Book written by Susan Orlean and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-10-16 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A WASHINGTON POST TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 “A constant pleasure to read…Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book.” —The Washington Post “CAPTIVATING…DELIGHTFUL.” —Christian Science Monitor * “EXQUISITELY WRITTEN, CONSISTENTLY ENTERTAINING.” —The New York Times * “MESMERIZING…RIVETING.” —Booklist (starred review) A dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries—from the bestselling author hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post. On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual fire alarm. As one fireman recounted, “Once that first stack got going, it was ‘Goodbye, Charlie.’” The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling book that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity; brings each department of the library to vivid life through on-the-ground reporting; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. Along the way, Orlean introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters from libraries past and present—from Mary Foy, who in 1880 at eighteen years old was named the head of the Los Angeles Public Library at a time when men still dominated the role, to Dr. C.J.K. Jones, a pastor, citrus farmer, and polymath known as “The Human Encyclopedia” who roamed the library dispensing information; from Charles Lummis, a wildly eccentric journalist and adventurer who was determined to make the L.A. library one of the best in the world, to the current staff, who do heroic work every day to ensure that their institution remains a vital part of the city it serves. Brimming with her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, The Library Book is Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks that reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country. It is also a master journalist’s reminder that, perhaps especially in the digital era, they are more necessary than ever.

A Dangerous Place

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Author :
Publisher : Pantheon
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis A Dangerous Place by : Marc Reisner

Download or read book A Dangerous Place written by Marc Reisner and published by Pantheon. This book was released on 2003 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In "A Dangerous Place, Marc Reisner, the author of "Cadillac Desert, the classic history of the American West and its fatal dependence on water, returns to the subject that never ceased to seduce him: California. Writing with his signature command of his subject and with compelling resonance, Reisner leads us through California's improbable history and rise from a largely desert land to the most populated state in the nation, fueled by an economic engine more productive than all of Africa. Reisner believes that the achievement of this, the last great desert civilization, hinges on California's denial of its own inescapable fate. Both the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas sit astride two of the most violently seismic zones on the planet. The earthquakes that have already rocked California were, according to Reisner, mere prologues to a future cataclysm that will result in destruction of such magnitude that the only recourse will be to rebuild from the ground up. Reisner concludes "A Dangerous Place with a hypothetical but chillingly realistic description of such a disaster and its horrifying aftereffects.

California Earthquakes

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Author :
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 0801873606
Total Pages : 348 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis California Earthquakes by : Carl-Henry Geschwind

Download or read book California Earthquakes written by Carl-Henry Geschwind and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2003-04-30 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Book Prize of the Forum for the History of Science in America from the History of Science Society In 1906, after an earthquake wiped out much of San Francisco, leading California officials and scientists described the disaster as a one-time occurrence and assured the public that it had nothing to worry about. California Earthquakes explains how, over time, this attitude changed, and Californians came to accept earthquakes as a significant threat, as well as to understand how science and technology could reduce this threat. Carl-Henry Geschwind tells the story of the small group of scientists and engineers who—in tension with real estate speculators and other pro-growth forces, private and public—developed the scientific and political infrastructure necessary to implement greater earthquake awareness. Through their political connections, these reformers succeeded in building a state apparatus in which regulators could work together with scientists and engineers to reduce earthquake hazards. Geschwind details the conflicts among scientists and engineers about how best to reduce these risks, and he outlines the dramatic twentieth-century advances in our understanding of earthquakes—their causes and how we can try to prepare for them. Tracing the history of seismology and the rise of the regulatory state and of environmental awareness, California Earthquakes tells how earthquake-hazard management came about, why some groups assisted and others fought it, and how scientists and engineers helped shape it.