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of interest to organizations involved in disaster reduction and mitiga-
<br />tion of extreme events.
<br />Severe Weather, Floods, and Dams
<br />Hurricanes and Typhoons: Past, Present, and Future. Richard J.
<br />Murnane and Kam -Biu Liu, editors. ISBN 0- 231 - 12388 -4. 2005.
<br />464 pp. $89.50. Available from Columbia University Press Order
<br />Department, 136 South Broadway, Irvington, NY 10533; (914) 591-
<br />9111, (800) 944 -8648; http://www.columbia.edu/Cu/Cup/.
<br />This book surveys the past, present, and potential future vari-
<br />ability of hurricanes and typhoons on a variety of timescales using
<br />newly developed approaches based on geological and archival re-
<br />cords, in addition to more traditional approaches based on the analy-
<br />sis of the historical record of tropical cyclone tracks. It also provides
<br />an overview of the developing field of paleotempestology, which
<br />uses geological, biological, and documentary evidence to reconstruct
<br />prehistoric changes in hurricane landfall. The audience for this book
<br />includes tropical meteorologists, geologists, and climatologists as
<br />well as members of the catastrophe reinsurance industry, graduate
<br />students in meteorology, and public employees active in planning
<br />and emergency management.
<br />Economics and the Wind. Bradley 7. Ewing, Jerry S. Rawls, and
<br />Jamie B. Kruse, editors. ISBN 1- 59454- 280 -5. 2005. 187pp. $89.00.
<br />Available from Nova Science Publishers, 400 Oser Avenue, Suite
<br />1600, Hauppauge, NY 11788; (631) 231 -7269; e -mail: novasci
<br />ence @earthlink.net; http : / /wivtiv.novapublishers.com /.
<br />Wind events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and cyclones affect
<br />regional economies, individual households and businesses, and en-
<br />tire industries. Consequently, it is important to understand the im-
<br />pact that wind has on the markets in which businesses and people
<br />interact. This book examines the economic issues surrounding wind -
<br />related disasters. Contributors include social scientists, economists,
<br />risk management and insurance specialists, and civil engineers from
<br />around the world.
<br />Reducing Flood Losses: Is the 1% Chance Flood Standard Suffi-
<br />cient? 2005. 69 pp. Available free online (along with background
<br />issues papers) from the Association of State Floodplain Managers,
<br />2809 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53713; (608) 274 -0123;
<br />e -mail: asfpm @floods. org; http://Wwwfloods.org/F`oundatioii/F`orum
<br />.asp.
<br />This report of the 2004 Assembly of the Gilbert F. White Na-
<br />tional Flood Policy Forum addresses the question of the sufficiency
<br />of the 1% annual chance flood standard, which is the basis for most
<br />flood loss reduction programs today. It summarizes forum discus-
<br />sions about the standard's applicability in increasingly complex
<br />situations, whether today's science can provide a better approach,
<br />and what counterproductive impacts may have ensued during the
<br />years of the standard's implementation. It also provides options for
<br />the future and an agenda for action.
<br />The Future of Large Dams: Dealing with Social, Environmental,
<br />Institutional, and Political Costs. Thayer Scudder. ISBN 1- 84407-
<br />155-3. 2005. 432 pp. £45.00. Available from Earthscan, 8 -12 Cam-
<br />den High Street, London NWI OJH, UK; +44 (0)20 7387 8558;
<br />e -mail: earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk; http://www.eartl?scaii.co.uk/.
<br />Viewed by some as symbols of progress and by others as in-
<br />herently flawed, large dams remain one of the most contentious
<br />development issues on Earth. Building on the work of the now de-
<br />funct World Commission on Dams, the author enters the debate by
<br />examining the impacts of large dams on ecosystems, societies, and
<br />political economies. He also analyses the structure of the decision -
<br />making process for water resource development and tackles the
<br />highly contentious issue of dam - induced resettlement, illuminated by
<br />a statistical analysis of 50 cases.
<br />Earthquakes and Tsunamis
<br />Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for
<br />the San Francisco Bay Region. ISBN 1- 411- 30541 -8. 2005. 32 pp.
<br />Free. Available from the U.S. Geological Survey Information Ser-
<br />vices, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225; (888) 275 -8747• http:/ /pubs
<br />.usgs.gov 1gip 120051151. A copy can also be requested from the Am-
<br />erican Red Cross Bay Area Chapter at (510) 595 -4459.
<br />This handbook provides information about the threat posed by
<br />earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region and explains how indi-
<br />viduals can prepare for, survive, and recover from these inevitable
<br />events. For people who live or work in the region, it explains why
<br />they should be concerned with earthquakes, what they can expect
<br />during and after a quake, and what they need to do beforehand to be
<br />safe and reduce damage.
<br />Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes. ISBN 9264016694. 2004.
<br />244 pp. $50.00. Available free online from the Organisation for Eco-
<br />nomic Co- operation and Development (OECD) Distribution Center,
<br />Extenza- Turpin, 56 Industrial Park Drive, Pembroke, MA 02359;
<br />(800) 456 -6323; e -mail: oecdna @extenza- turpin.com; http: / /www.oe
<br />ed.org/edu/Schoolsafety/.
<br />This report is the product of an ad hoc experts' meeting on
<br />earthquake safety in schools. The expert knowledge, opinions, and
<br />experiences presented here provide insight into the nature and scope
<br />of the problems involved in protecting school buildings and their
<br />occupants. An accompanying document, OECD Recommendation
<br />Concerning Earthquake Safety in Schools (2005, 7 pp.), is also
<br />available free online.
<br />Natural Hazards Observer November 2005 34
<br />Tsunamis: Case Studies and Recent Developments. Kenji Satake,
<br />editor. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research
<br />23. ISBN 1- 4020 - 3326 -5. 2005. 343 pp. $149.00. Available from
<br />Springer New York, PO Box 2485, Secaucus, NJ 07094 -2485; (212)
<br />460 -1500, (800) 777 -4643; e -mail: service -ny @springer- sbnt.com;
<br />http: / /wwty. springeronline. corn /.
<br />Twenty papers comprise this review of tsunami research,
<br />which includes various approaches to studying tsunamis: field-
<br />surveys of recent tsunamis; analysis of tide -gauge records; numeri-
<br />cal simulations of tsunami generation and propagation; tank experi-
<br />ments; and geological studies of tsunami deposits. The first part of
<br />the book reports on tsunamis generated by volcanic eruptions and
<br />earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean. The second part reports on
<br />recent developments in numerical computations, monitoring, and
<br />assessments of coastal hazards.
<br />Volcanoes
<br />Ecological Responses to the 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens.
<br />Virginia H. Dale, Frederick J. Swanson, and Charles M. Crisafulli,
<br />editors. ISBN 0- 387 - 23850 -6. 2005. 348 pp. $39.95. Available from
<br />Springer New York, PO Box 2485, Secaucus, NJ 07094 -2485; (212)
<br />460 -1500, (800) 777 -4643; e -mail: service -rty @springer- sbnc.com;
<br />http: / /www. springeronline. com/.
<br />The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, had a
<br />momentous impact on fungal, plant, animal, and human life from
<br />the mountain to the far reaches of the ash cloud and mudflows. Al-
<br />though it caused substantial loss of life and property, it also created
<br />a unique opportunity to examine a huge disturbance of natural sys-
<br />tems and their subsequent responses. Lessons from the volcano
<br />inform our larger understanding of ecosystem disturbances, natural
<br />processes, and the impact of land use practices. This book synthe-
<br />sizes the ecological research that has been conducted in the twenty -
<br />five years since the eruption.
<br />Climate Change
<br />Climate Crash: Abrupt Climate Change and What it Means for Our
<br />Future. John D. Cox. ISBN 0- 309 - 09312 -0. 2005. 224 pp. $27.95.
<br />Published by Joseph Henry Press. Available from the National Acad-
<br />emies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC
<br />20055; (202) 334 -3313, (888) 624 -8373; http: / /ivww. nap. eduJ.
<br />As scientists search for clues about the history of Earth's cli-
<br />mate, they are discovering that alterations in climate can happen
<br />quickly and dramatically. While this new paradigm represents a
<br />significant shift in the picture of Earth's past, the real question is
<br />what it means for the future. This book seeks to answer questions
<br />about the mechanisms that might trigger a significant climate
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