This book provides a superficial look at a few of the world's biggest natural disasters and how these disasters effected societies. Jones explores how the disaster victims and relevant governments dealt with the catastrophe and what they are doing to mitigate the adverse effects of any subsequent natural disasters. This is a history book with minimal, superficial science. The book is informative with an easy going writing style, however, I was hoping for more specific information on the disaster themselves and the engineering options used to mitigate disaster impacts. This book makes for a good introductory text to the subject. ( )

The Big Ones, by Dr. Lucy Jones is a wonderful accounting of many of the largest and most devastating natural disasters that have shaped our history. Dr. Jones lays out a compelling narrative about the role that natural disasters have played in advancing scientific thought and research, politics, and social norms. While Dr. Jones is a geologist (seismologist) by training, her recounting of natural disasters don't solely focus on geologic hazards, and often points out how human decisions (or lack thereof) not only help create, but often times exacerbate, a natural disaster and turns an event into a catastrophe. She explores the volcanic eruption of Pompeii, devastating floods in California in 1862 and the disastrous 1927 Mississippi River floods. The great earthquakes of Lisbon, Portugal in 1755 and Tokyo in 1923, as well as the earthquakes and tsunami that created wide destruction in the Indian Ocean in 2004 and East Japan in 2011. The range of disasters that she covers span not only recorded human history, but covers the range of geologic and meteorologic disasters.

I loved the history that Dr. Jones provides for each of the events, recounting the details of the disasters from personal accounts written at the time. And while these details are fascinating, and provide a human voice to the narrative, what I really enjoyed was the assessment and interpretation of the events and how these disasters helped shape our modern society. From transitioning from the beliefs that natural disasters were created by angry, vengeful, or just callous deities to our reliance on modern scientific theories. What really struck a chord with me was the focus on science communication, and how communication of the risks and probabilities of any single disaster can result in tragic consequences, or have a profound impact on bettering our society. How even into the modern era (the 20th and 21st centuries) a reliance to stick to old, outdated belief systems (even if backed by science) often lead to a greater catastrophe when a disaster does strike.

I highly recommend The Big Ones to anybody interested in science history. Dr. Jones' narrative is easy to follow, and she clearly conveys the knowledge and experience that she has gained over several decades working in the field. I listened to the audio version of the book, narrated by the author, and she does a great job. Her fluency in Chinese is evident when she tells of the earthquakes in China in the 1970s - one predicted, one not, and she displays her skill as a science communicator. ( )

An exploration of notable natural disasters in human history, the development of scientific inquiry to better understand them, and the kinds of lessons that can be learned from their aftermath.

The author is the authority regarding earthquakes and their effects in Southern California. She has investigated all sorts of natural disasters, from Mount Vesuvius' destruction of Pompeii in 79 CE to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami 0f 2011, with all kinds of events in between: earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc. The author attempts to show the developments in the ways humans respond to these events in terms of attribution of cause and how it leads them to respond.

To me the most important aspect of this work is the author's insistence on looking at natural disasters not just in terms of the event itself but also in terms of its aftermath. It's not just about living through the moment of crisis; it's also about making sure life can continue afterward: yes, making sure needed supplies get through and effective rebuilding, but ideally, better preparation so that fewer buildings need to be condemned and quality of life is not catastrophically lost when it doesn't have to be.

All of this has special relevance for Southern California, obviously, but in a changing world we are seeing disasters happening everywhere. Not the most pleasant of reading, for obvious reasons, but worth exploring. ( )

A very interesting read. This book gives somewhat of a different perspective on some of the world's major natural disasters. Instead of focusing on the death & destruction the author does a very reasoned analysis of both the causes and impacts (physical, cultural, sociological, and historical). When you think you are well read and still find major historical occurrences that you never even heard of ... ( )

Contrary to the title, The Big Ones does not necessarily cover the most intense natural disasters. For example, the earthquakes covered include Lisbon 1755, Kanto 1923, and Tangshan 1976, but not Chile 1960 or Alaska 1964.

Instead the author, formerly a seismologist with the USGS, focuses on events that impacted large populations. For each of the 11 events described here, the narrative emphasizes the human response. There are stories of great heroism, but all too often minority communities have been scapegoated for "causing" these natural disasters.

The book is dedicated to urban planners, and it ends with a call to develop resilient communities that can survive the forces of nature we cannot control. ( )