Robert Yeats, a retired professor of geosciences at Oregon State University, knows that earthquakes, small or large, aren't news in California. What is news is how badly prepared most Californians are for the eventuality; scientists there have developed the world's most comprehensive program of disaster management, forecasting, and quake-resistant construction codes, Yeats  suggests, but ordinary people have done little to improve their odds of  survival. Yeats traces the state's earthquake history of hundreds of years,  recounting many episodes of mayhem and destruction. He examines the  evolution of building codes, prediction methods, and the role of  governmental agencies in civil defense. Most helpful of all, he offers  Californians easily followed pointers on preparing for the inevitable, such  as making an "earthquake kit" of food, tools, and supplies and developing a  neighborhood plan for mutual assistance.  Yeats writes, "Ultimately, the book's value may be measured after the next  large earthquake, when we ask ourselves, 'Were we ready?'" He's correct. No  other book covers quite as much ground, and anyone who lives in earthquake  country, and not just in the Golden State, will find this primer  useful. --Gregory McNamee

Living with Earthquakes in California: A Survivor's Guide PDF

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