Synopsis:

Why is it that in the aftermath of a disaster- whether manmade or natural-people suddenly become altruistic, resourceful, and brave? What makes the newfound communities and purpose many find in the ruins and crises after disaster so joyous? And what does this joy reveal about ordinarily unmet social desires and possibilities?

In A Paradise Built in Hell, award-winning author Rebecca Solnit explores these phenomena, looking at major calamities from the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco through the 1917 explosion that tore up Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She examines how disaster throws people into a temporary utopia of changed states of mind and social possibilities, as well as looking at the cost of the widespread myths and rarer real cases of social deterioration during crisis. This is a timely and important book from an acclaimed author whose work consistently locates unseen patterns and meanings in broad cultural histories.

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Topics/Categories:

1906 earthquake, 9/11, Canadian history, Communities, community building, Halifax, Hurricane Katrina, Mexico City, natural disasters, New Orleans, Nova Scotia, San Francisco

Genre:

20th Century History, 21st Century History, California History, Cultural Analysis, Current Events, General Nature, Mexican History, United States History

Type of Work:

Book

Publishers:

Viking

Original Publish Date:

August 20, 2009

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