Amanda Ripley is an investigative journalist whose work delves into the complexities of human behavior during crises and global education systems. She explores why people make the choices they do when faced with disaster, seeking to understand the underlying factors of survival and resilience. Ripley also investigates educational methods and their impact on developing minds, uncovering what contributes to academic excellence. Her approach is grounded in rigorous fieldwork and a desire to reveal the fundamental principles that shape our lives.
Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--and Why
Exploring human reactions to emergencies and disasters, the author examines historical events and consults brain scientists to understand psychological responses. By delving into her own imagination, she uncovers the complexities of how individuals cope during crises, offering insights into resilience and vulnerability in the face of chaos.
"In the tradition of bestselling explainers like The Tipping Point, [this] book [is] based on cutting edge science that breaks down the idea of extreme conflict--the kind that paralyzes people and places--and then shows how to escape it"--
From the bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World comes the first major book to use cutting-edge science and investigative reporting to explain the lure of malignant conflict in our private and public lives.
'[Ripley] gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange...The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes.' New York Times Book Review
Following three teenagers who chose to spend one school year living in Finland, South Korea, and Poland, a literary journalist recounts how attitudes, parenting, and rigorous teaching have revolutionized these countries' education results.
It was 8.46 a.m. on 9/11 when Elia Zedeno, who had worked in the World Trade Center for twenty-one years, heard a booming explosion and felt the building lurch violently to the south.