Civilization rearranges nature for human convenience. Clothes and houses
keep us warm; agriculture feeds us; medicine fights our diseases. It all
works--most of the time. But key resources lie in the most hazardous
places, so we choose to live on river flood plains, on the slopes of
volcanoes, at the edge of the sea, above seismic faults. We pack
ourselves into cities, Petri dishes for germs. Civilization thrives on
the edge of disaster. And what happens when natural forces meet molasses
holding tanks, insecticides, deepwater oil rigs, nuclear power plants?
We learn the hard way how to avoid the last disaster--and maybe how to
create the next one. What we don't know can, indeed, hurt us. This
book's white-knuckled journey from antiquity to the present leads us to
wonder at times how humankind has survived. And yet, as Author Gale
Eaton makes clear, civilization has advanced not just in spite of
disasters but in part because of them. Hats off to human resilience,
ingenuity, and perseverance! They've carried us this far; may they
continue to do so into our ever-hazardous future. The History in 50
series explores history by telling thematically linked stories. Each
book includes 50 illustrated narrative accounts of people and
events--some well-known, others often overlooked--that, together, build
a rich connect the-dots mosaic and challenge conventional assumptions
about how history unfolds.
- Dedicated to the premise that history is the greatest story ever told.
- Includes a mix of "greatest hits" with quirky, surprising, provocative
accounts.
- Challenges readers to think and engage.
- Includes a glossary of technical terms; sources by chapter; teaching
resources as jumping-off points for student research; and endnotes.
