First Discussion Amanda Ripley’s book “The Unthinkable” provides insightful information on how people react to danger and disasters and what makes people survive from disasters. The book reviews all the major disasters in America and discusses how people managed to survive from these disasters from an expert’s point of view. The book had a greater impact on how to respond to disasters and what disaster management agencies need to know about human behavior during disasters. What was more surprising in the book is the denial stage by people, which leaves them paralyzed and unable to act in the middle of the disaster. The book confirmed the importance of training in responding to and surviving from disaster situations. The book was insightful in understanding the various reactions of people to disasters and the need for disaster agencies to know these reactions. The book influenced how I should do during disasters in the future. I have learned that disasters strike any time, and it is good to know about disasters that are likely to occur and be ready to confront the disasters when they hit. What I would urge people or the loved one is to get training on disaster response to present situations where one is left in the state of denial. I believe that training on disaster response will equip one with the right skills and attitude to respond in a manner that increases the chances of survival. The book highlights what actually goes on in the minds of people when disaster strikes, we often change our behavior and act irrationally. It is surprising. Second Discussion Journalist Amanda Ripley’s book, “The Unthinkable: Who survives when disaster strikes and why” provides great lessons that should be known during disasters. The book positively impacted me where I gathered powerful survival lessons and skills through the survivors who had survived various disasters like hostages, fires, plane crash and the 9/11 bomb among other disasters (Ripley, 2008).What was surprising is that panic is the worst thing that a person can do while faced with a disaster. Panic can be said to be anxiety at the highest level. During a panic, one loses the sense and the reality of the situation. Many deaths in a fatal or small accident happen when the people involved panic. Those who have high daily anxiety panic more when faced with a minor or major disaster, and this leads them not taking any action in saving themselves or the others. What I confirmed from the book is that most of those who survive in any disaster are those who take regular disaster practice activities. They either read emergency guidebooks or take different practical drills aimed at creating awareness of what to do whenever an emergency erupts. I have always believed that in case of a disaster or an emergency, the emergency responder should always be responsible enough to respond and help the injured. They should help those severely affected, and if anything goes wrong, they should be held liable. The book changed my perspective on this, and now I understand that I case I am involved in a disaster; I should be in the forefront to be the help to those in more danger before the help arrives. This can save my life and life of others too. I can help an injured person to breathe, to stop bleeding or call for help on their behalf, and this can save lives. Amanda’s book is quite insightful, and I think that it should be introduced in schools and be recommended for the public to read. Amanda carries out investigations on different disasters survivors such as the 9/11, hostages, hurricanes survivors, fire survivors, and plane crash survivors, among others. The books come up with three main stages that people in a disaster go through, which are denial stage, deliberation stage, and decision stage. In the denial stage, some people do not believe the disaster can be happening to them are the ones in most cases are seen gathering belongings in a disaster instead of evacuating. In the deliberation stage, some people allow fear to take over them and only follow whatever other people in the crowd are doing. During the decision stage, some people act to save themselves and others while others panic or freeze up (Ripley, 2008). What was surprising is that most of the survivors had one thing in common where they had to control their level of fear during the situation. One thing that I could share with a friend, my family members or my peers is that they should always strive to participate in different drills and training programs to make them familiar with how they can respond to various emergency circumstances. Awareness is the first step in changing everything, and people become more equipped to face any disaster. As the book confirms, those who had earlier experience in disaster or had gone through a disaster drill or training were more likely to survive (Bachmannet al., 2015). Businesses, faith-based organizations, and homeowners, as well as the government, should be at the forefront in preparing for emergency response practice and drills for their members and the communities around them. This is because disaster can also happen on their premises and there this will play a huge role in saving lives and property. As said, creating awareness is one of the most fundamental aspects of minimizing deaths and the number of casualties in case of a disaster. Third Discussion The Unthinkable: Who survives when a disaster strikes and why is a book were, we can see how different someone’s behavior from others can be when a disaster occurs. At the same time, as well as disasters, even though there are some common factors or patterns between them, we are all unique individuals. I enjoyed reading this book because it was written with real incidents and survivors. One of the stories that most impacted me was Turners’ death. He refused to leave his home with the idea that if he survived once a similar event, he could survive it again. His house made it through the hurricane, but he died from a heart attack. Now, stories like this one make me think about not only the risks we decide to take when a disaster is about to happen or during it. It also makes me reflect on every single decision we make daily. How prone are we to take risks without even considering the consequences? The author also used several examples of airplane crashes. I have some background in aviation and aerospace, not only because I took classes but mainly because my family in one way or another is involved in that field. Two weeks ago, when I was flying back to Philadelphia, I was one of the passengers responsible to open the exit door in case of an emergency. I always pay close attention to the instructions and even read the pamphlet in front of me, simply because I still feel that I may have missed some information. Through my mind came the same thought that the author mentioned. Many of the passengers do not pay attention to the safety instructions. The flight attendants ask for verbal confirmation, but does that mean that the passengers understand or will be able to open the door? At the same time, will I be able to open it? Delay and fear were also two of the topics that I found fascinating. We are all different, and depending on our backgrounds, we may also respond differently. My friends always say I am in an alert mode, and if something happens, they want to be with me. Every time they repeat those words, I fear not only for them but, also for me. The book presents many examples of survivors whose previous experiences and training helped them to overcome the situation. I think that the more we know, the better. I see it as backup power for our body. Positively or negatively, our bodies will still react to the incident. I prefer my brain to connect fear and experience to get me moving in the right direction, not otherwise. To my loved ones and peers, I would say not to fear the wrong things and do not take anything for granted. For example, do not fear a tornado, fear not knowing what to do. Do not worry about a hurricane, fear not being prepared. My parents have always given me the reasons and importance behind every no and yes. So, I agree with the author in that we should be direct and openly honest with the people, even with children. However, respect and tactfulness must always be considered. Again, we are all different.
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