Overview

Unlock the secrets of survival with this riveting expedition into the science of disaster—now revised and updated to address the pandemic, the role of social media in disaster response, and more—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World “The thinking person’s manual for getting out alive.”—NPR’s “Book Tour” “A must read . . . We need books like this to help us understand the world in which we live.”—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness Disaster can come in many forms, from earthquakes and wildfires to pandemics and acts of terror. Afterward, when the dust settles and the survivors emerge, we can’t help but wonder: Why did they live when so many others perished? In The Unthinkable, prize-winning journalist Amanda Ripley, who has covered some of the most devastating disasters of our age, sets out to find the answers. To understand the human reaction to chaos and imminent danger, she turns to leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts—from a Holocaust survivor who studies heroism to a master gunfighter who learned to overcome extreme fear. Along the way, we learn about the perils of crowd psychology, the elegance of the brain’s fear circuits, how leaders can build trust quickly, and other invisible factors that can make the difference between death and survival. A fascinating combination of neuroscience, firsthand accounts, and thrilling investigative journalism, this book is for anyone who has ever wondered how they would respond in a life-and-death situation—or wanted to increase their odds of survival. This new edition updates all the original research and features timely material on enormous, slow-moving disasters such as pandemics and climate catastrophes. Most important, it reveals the brain’s ability to do much better—with a little help.

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Reviews

"“Engrossing and lucid . . . facing the truth about the human capacity for risk and disaster turns out to be a lot less scary than staying in the dark.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “The thinking person’s manual for getting out alive.”—NPR’s “Book Tour” “The Unthinkable isn’t merely a book about disaster; it’s a book about survival—maybe yours.”—Gavin de Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Fear   ""Ripley is a voyeur on a mission. . . . Her conviction: We’d all stand a better chance of surviving a disaster if we understood what happens to our little gray cells when things get ugly. . . . Spiced with surprising factoids, this book might save your life one day.”—Bloomberg News ""This is a book with a purpose, meant to change things”—Rob Hardy, The Commercial Dispatch “These tales leave your viscera enflamed because they compel two questions: ‘What would it feel like to go through that?’ and ‘Would I do the right thing and survive?’ This is an irresistible book.”—Robert M. Sapolsky, John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences and professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University “The Unthinkable is the most magnificent account of a survivor’s mind that I have ever read. It has helped me know and accept some of my reactions during my 72 day ordeal in the Andes. I can now understand how fear motivated me, and how denial also played a part. This book will help those who’ve never faced disaster to understand their own behavior and be prepared should their luck run out one day.”—Nando Parrado, New York Times bestselling author of Miracle in the Andes “The Unthinkable reveals why, under the same circumstances, some people caught up in a disaster survive and others do not. Why some are hopelessly immobilized by fear and crippled by panic, and others are filled with strength, endurance, reactions and the other intrinsic stuff of which Homeric heroes are made. How can we ensure which we will be? In her well-crafted prose, Amanda Ripley shows us all how to prepare to meet danger and increase our chances of surviving the unthinkable.”—Bruce Henderson, New York Times bestselling author of Down to the Sea and True North “When a disaster occurs we invariably learn the ""what"" of the event -- how many died, how many survived. Amanda Ripley’s riveting The Unthinkable provides genuine insight into the ""why"" behind the numbers. This remarkable book will not only change your life, it could very well save it.”—Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America’s Richest Silver Mine “Ever fantasize about what you would do in a disaster? How would you survive? How would you behave? After interviewing survivors of the World Trade Center attack, Amanda Ripley sifted through amazing tales of survivors from other disasters and mined various sociological, psychological, and neurological studies. Her insights are absolutely fascinating, and they could come in handy one day.”——Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo Da Vinci “Reading The Unthinkable will be life-changing.  We live in an age of anxiety that has too many of us rocked back on our heels.  Once you’ve feasted on the rich insights and wisdom of this remarkable book, you’ll be standing tall again.  While our politicians and media have been keen to exploit and fan our worst fears, Amanda Ripley makes clear that individually and collectively we can meet head-on the hazards that periodically befall us.  We need not be afraid!”—Stephen Flynn, Senior Fellow for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation “The Unthinkable is a fascinating, in-depth look at human behavior under extreme pressure. Its gut-wrenching stories span the full spectrum of action under duress, from panic to heroism. Not only is this book fast-paced and engrossing, it’s illuminating.”——Michael Tougias, author of Fatal Forecast: An Icredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea “A must read. We need books like this to help us understand the world in which we live.”—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author The Black Swan and Fooled By Randomness"

Author Information

Amanda Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, Washington Post contributor, and co-founder of Good Conflict, a company that helps people get smarter about how they fight. Her work has appeared in Time, Politico, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, and Harvard Business Review. Her other books include The Smartest Kids in the World and High Conflict.

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