Book Review

‘‘Natural Disasters’’, by Patrick L. Abbott, Eights Edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011;

ISBN-10: 0073369373, ISBN-13: 978-007733-372, USD 91.49

SUSANA CUSTODIO1

‘‘Natural Disasters’’, by Patrick Abbott, is an old

favorite textbook for teaching undergraduate general

education courses about the Earth. The book covers a

wide range of topics under the overarching umbrella

of Natural Disasters. This book expresses the belief

that everyone should have a basic understanding of

how our planet works, because everyone interacts

with the Earth’s system and needs to do so in a

responsible manner. As the author writes: ‘‘During

decades of teaching courses at San Diego State

University, I found that students have an innate

curiosity about ‘death and destruction’’’. Abbott

explores this innate curiosity with exceptional skill.

For many years and many editions this engaging

book has had great success, due to its clear and

attractive color figures, interesting fact tables, and

most of all, due to Patrick Abbott’s captivating

writing. Abbott has a remarkable ability to pick the

themes that are most interesting to a general audi-

ence, and to then explain them in an accessible and

enticing way. Readers just cannot let go before they

reach the end of the ‘‘story’’. In fact, in this book

Abbott explains how the Earth works in a storytelling

fashion, without losing sight of the scientific facts,

evidence and methodology.

Besides the main text, figures and tables, ‘‘Natural

Disasters’’ includes boxes entitled ‘‘Side Notes’’, ‘‘In

Greater Depth’’, and ‘‘A Classic Disaster’’. These

boxes provide a break from the main text to learn

about curiosities, to deepen certain issues, or to read

about landmark disasters. ‘‘Natural Disasters’’ is full

of real world examples and case studies, which help

students relate at a personal level to the topics in the

book. Abbott also poses questions to the students

throughout the book, instead of dully describing the

topics, encouraging the students to reflect by them-

selves. At the end of each chapter the students can

find a ‘‘Summary’’, a list of ‘‘Terms to Remember’’,

some ‘‘Questions for Review’’ and also ‘‘Questions

For Further Thought’’. All these are designed to guide

and structure students’ study.

One of my favorite features of this book are the

quotations at the beginning of each chapter, ranging

from a Benjamin Franklin quotation on plate tecton-

ics to Winnie the Pooh’s quotation on rain. In the title

page of the climate change chapter, one can read:

‘‘All truth passes through three stages. First, it is

ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is

accepted as being self-evident.’’ —a quotation of

Arthur Schopenhauer.

The eighth edition of Natural Disasters brings along

a major reorganization of the book structure, which is

accompanied by expanded coverage of weather and

climate. The 16 chapters are now divided into four

large sections that reflect the energy flows within our

planet: (a) Earth’s internal energy flow that underlies

earthquakes and volcanoes, (b) external energy flow

from the Sun that fuels weather and climate including

tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, (c) gravity

that acts to pull down mass movements of earth and

snow, and (d) impacts with asteroids and comets that

can have major effects on life.

The first chapter of ‘‘Natural Disasters’’ is dedi-

cated to explaining how natural disasters affect the

human population. With several interesting examples,

1 Instituto D. Luiz, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade

de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Ed. C8, Piso 3, Gab. 5 (8.3.05), 1749-

016 Lisbon, Portugal. E-mail: susanacustodio@campus.ul.pt

Pure Appl. Geophys.

� 2013 Springer Basel

DOI 10.1007/s00024-013-0652-3 Pure and Applied Geophysics

Abbott makes the very compelling point that every-

one without exception needs to care about natural

disasters and learn about the Earth. Then Abbott

proceeds to the first large section of the book, which

is dedicated to Earth’s ‘‘internal energy’’. This sec-

tion includes chapters two through seven, and

encompasses topics related to solid Earth: Earth for-

mation, plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes.

Chapter 8 is dedicated to tsunamis and wind waves,

relating to all four major sections of the book. The

next large section focuses on the ‘‘external energy’’

flow from the Sun and ranges from Chapter 9 to 14.

These chapters cover weather and climate, including

tornadoes, lightning, extreme weather, hurricanes,

floods, fire and climate change. Chapter 15 deals with

mass movements (‘‘gravity’’ section). The final

chapter 16 concerns impacts with space objects

(‘‘impacts’’ section). One final chapter dedicated to

mass extinctions appears as a new feature of the

eighth edition. Dividing the book into four major

sections allows the students to easily systematize the

different sources of energy that drive the Earth

dynamics.

The online learning center of ‘‘Natural Disasters,

8th Ed.’’ provided by McGraw Hill (www.mhhe.

com/abbott8e) includes updates about the 2011 To-

hoku, Japan, mega-earthquake and the 2011 deadly

tornado year, topics that did not make it into the

printed eighth edition. The on-line learning center

also includes resources dedicated to students and

teachers. Students can find here multiple choice

quizzes, animation, virtual vistas and web links. The

learning center also provides a career center, as well

as Google Earth Worksheets developed by Stephen

K. Boss at the University of Arkansas. While the

student resources are openly available, instructor

resources are only accessible after registration.

Instructor resources include an Instructor Manual

Test Bank and PowerPoint lecture outlines.

The next edition of Natural Disasters already has

a new cover, illustrating the propagation of the 2011

Japan tsunami across the Pacific Ocean. According

to McGraw Hill, besides the usual updating of text,

figures, photos and tables, the ninth edition (to be

published February 2013) will give more emphasis

to processes and less to case histories. Chapter 1 will

start with a brief section on disease pandemics. The

eighth edition’s newly added chapter on Mass

Extinctions will be promoted from Epilogue to

Chapter 18. And a whole new chapter will be dedi-

cated to coastal processes and hazards. The online

features of the eighth edition concerning the 2011

Japan earthquake and the 2011 tornado year will

become part of the printed ninth edition. The con-

viction of Italian scientists in the case of the

L’Aquila earthquake will also be included in the

ninth edition.

The current eighth edition, and upcoming ninth

edition, of ‘‘Natural Disasters’’ attest that this text-

book is in permanent evolution, with frequent updates

both to the printed and web versions. This allows

instructors to take advantage of the windows of

opportunity that open when students testify, either

personally or through the media, that the Earth’s

dynamic forces change people’s fate. ‘‘Natural

Disasters’’ is a wonderful tool for all those interested

in educating the general public about the Earth, be it

students or wider audiences.

S. Custodio Pure Appl. Geophys.