Living with Earthquakes in California: A Survivor's Guide

Robert Yeats, a retired professor of geosciences at Oregon State University, knows that earthquakes, small or large, aren't news in California. What is news is how badly prepared most Californians are for the eventuality; scientists there have developed the world's most comprehensive program of disaster management, forecasting, and quake-resistant construction codes, Yeats suggests, but ordinary people have done little to improve their odds of survival. Yeats traces the state's earthquake history of hundreds of years, recounting many episodes of mayhem and destruction. He examines the evolution of building codes, prediction methods, and the role of governmental agencies in civil defense. Most helpful of all, he offers Californians easily followed pointers on preparing for the inevitable, such as making an "earthquake kit" of food, tools, and supplies and developing a neighborhood plan for mutual assistance. Yeats writes, "Ultimately, the book's value may be measured after the next large earthquake, when we ask ourselves, 'Were we ready?'" He's correct. No other book covers quite as much ground, and anyone who lives in earthquake country, and not just in the Golden State, will find this primer useful. --Gregory McNamee