The Unthinkable

The Unthinkable

You’re on an airplane that has crashed, or a hurricane is coming towards your home, or your house is on fire. What do you do? How do you perform under stressful situations? “The Unthinkable” by Amanda Ripley, is a book that explores how human beings respond to danger using anecdotes and well researched neurological studies to explain how human beings either succumb to the brains evolutionary response to danger or use this response to escape danger.

The most interesting part of this book is the destruction of the myth of panic by large groups. Ripley shows that there are instances where large groups panic, but in the majority of cases it seems that people are calm and helpful in dangerous situations. What seems to be the problem during disasters is a lack of training and knowledge of their situation. Public officials tend to believe that people can’t be trusted with a thorough knowledge of danger rather. Because of this, people are often robbed of knowledge that can save their lives. “The Unthinkable” give details of this problem and much more information that is of use to readers.

I rank this book a buy. This is especially good for minorities as they tend to be at risk of danger from fires, which are primarily a problem of lower earners. It is one of the best books I’ve read on this subject in a long time.