Japan, which is among the most earthquake-prone regions in the world, has a long history of responding to seismic disasters. However, despite advances in earthquake-related safety technologies, the destructiveness of the magnitude 9 class earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on 3/11 raised profound questions about how societies can deal effectively with seismic hazards. This important book places the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown disaster in historical perspective, examining conceptions of earthquakes since the seventeenth century, the diverse ways actual earthquakes and their aftermath played out, and their enduring social and scientific significance. By looking backward, Gregory Smits identifies future pitfalls to avoid and assesses the allocation of resources for dealing with future earthquake and tsunami disasters. He criticizes Japan’s postwar quest for earthquake prediction and the concept of “characteristic” earthquakes. Smits argues that earthquakes are so chaotic as to be unpredictable, not only geologically but also in their social and cultural effects. Therefore, he contends, the best hope for future disaster mitigation is antiseismic engineering and flexible disaster-relief capabilities. As the first sustained historical analysis of destructive earthquakes and tsunamis, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in Japan, natural disasters, seismology, and environmental history.

Discusses various aspects of geysers including their formation, location, anatomy, use by humans, and possible extinction.

Discusses various aspects of geysers including their formation, location, anatomy, use by humans, and possible extinction.

What will you do when the unthinkable happens? Her parents called her Lenya Lion because of her ferocious personality and hair that had been wild and mane-like since birth. But they never expected that, five days before Christmas, their five-year-old daughter would suddenly go to heaven after an asthma attack. How do you walk out of the ER without your daughter? More a manifesto for high-octane living than a manual for grieving, Through the Eyes of a Lion will help you turn your journey into a "roar story" by guiding you to look past what you can see with the naked eye survive Saturday--the space between promise and fulfillment let God turn your pain into a microphone cue the eagle and run toward the roar Whether you're currently facing adversity or want to prepare yourself for inevitable hardship, it's time to look at the adventure of your life through Jesus' eyes--the eyes of a Lion. "He has this story. And he has told it well. With candor. With honesty. With hope." --Max Lucado, pastor and New York Times bestselling author of Before Amen "One of the most powerfully transparent books I've ever read . . . a book we all need to read." --Sheila Walsh, speaker, Bible teacher, and bestselling author of 5 Minutes with Jesus "This is more than a book. It's a lifeline." --From the foreword by Steven Furtick, pastor and bestselling author of Crash the Chatterbox