Includes bibliographical references and index.

A tricky, high-stakes game -- When nature won -- Nature bats last -- Uncertainty and probability -- Communicating what we know and what we don't -- Human disasters -- How much is enough? -- Guessing the odds -- When's the next earthquake? -- Assessing hazards -- Mitigating hazards -- Choosing mitigation policies -- Doing better.

Defending society against natural hazards is a high-stakes game of chance against nature, involving tough decisions. How should a developing nation allocate its budget between building schools for towns without ones or making existing schools earthquake-resistant? Does it make more sense to build levees to protect against floods, or to prevent development in the areas at risk? Would more lives be saved by making hospitals earthquake-resistant, or using the funds for patient care? What should scientists tell the public when - as occurred in L'Aquila, Italy and Mammoth Lakes, California - there.

John Wiley and Sons Wiley eBooks