“The first history of seismic engineering in San Francisco . . . spiced with survivor and eyewitness accounts. ”—Midwest Book Review For the past one hundred and fifty years, architects and engineers have quietly been learning from each quake and designing newer earthquake-resistant building techniques and applying them in an ongoing effort to save San Francisco. Bracing for Disaster is a fresh appraisal of a city responding to repeated devastation. In the language of a skilled teacher, Tobriner examines what really happened during the city’s earthquakes—which buildings were damaged, which survived, and who were the unsung heroes. Filled with more than two hundred photographs, diagrams, and illustrations, this is a revealing look at the history of buildings by a true expert, and it offers lessons not just for San Francisco but for any city beset by natural disasters. “The real saga is how a fast-growing city grapples with the reality that it has more to worry about than fires and fog. The core of the story is fairly technical, rooted in the crude intuitive ways in which builders reacted to a seismic threat they could neither measure nor define. But Tobriner crafts the story well.”—SFGate

An emotional and practical guide to handling life with mental illness. Half of each chapter deals with the patient's new identity, using a modified Twelve-Step plan. Half is nuts and bolts: how to work with your doctor; how to navigate your way through uncaring bureaucracies; dealing with psychosis; surviving suicidal thoughts; recognizing your triggers; and more. PRAISE FROM REVIEWERS: "Four Stars out of five...Fruchey effectively adapts the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, applying them to the challenges of living with mental illness. Fruchey's sensitivity to differences in opinion and life situations will help make the book pertinent to a wide range of people. Although it targets mentally ill readers, this book will also benefit relatives and friends and help mental health professionals better understand their patients. Overall, it provides practicable, well-presented information." - Foreword Clarion Review "Guides the reader toward recovery by beginning with the most basic step - accepting that you have a mental illness - to the last step: finding your purpose in life beyond your mental illness. She provides helpful advice while including stories and quotations from people dealing with various issues. She collaborates with Dr. David Kallinger, whose PhD adds clinical expertise...together, they offer a therapeutic map to guide the reader toward a better quality of life." - NAMI Advocate PRAISE FROM EARLY READERS: "Something that is so valuable, a compilation of personal experience, personal advice, and Twelve-Step guidance that offers real, effective ideas for dealing with the garbage that goes with mental illness... I LOVE this, I'm looking forward to having a copy of it, and these last three chapters I'm going to sit and read with my husband." (Kathy D) "Room For Me, Too, is bravely honest and heartfelt. I have read a lot of non-fiction and this is the first time I would call a book a true work of humanity. The interviews are the most complete and caring I have ever seen before. Even the religious parts were a huge breath of fresh air... None of us are without issues, and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit greatly from this book. This book was intended for those with mental illnesses of various types, but I say it's a must read for those who know anyone with such problems." (Leslie D) "I wish I had read this in my younger life ...This is so informational and entertaining to read - I feel like I have a guide through life's difficulties when I read this." (Erika D)

“Surviving is a true blessing that few get to experience.” Being strapped in the seat of a plane as it plunges into a nosedive midair is everyone’s worst nightmare. Bracing for Impact’s compilers and contributors know. They have both lived out that fear and survived, albeit badly hurt, in their own plane crashes. In this collection of true-life survivor tales, people from all walks of life—a freelance writer, a crew member of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, a naval flight surgeon, a teenager, and a newlywed on her honeymoon, among others—recount their traumatic narrow escapes as engines stalled, fuel ran out, hazardous weather conditions descended, and landings did not go according to plan. In the face of death, as life flashed before their eyes—or not, as some wryly note—these survivors encountered the terrific split of before and after the crash. Their lives, though preserved, would change forever. Perhaps more significant than the crash itself is how each story plays out in the aftermath of the ordeal. In heart-wrenching, unrelenting honesty, these stories explore the wide spectrum of impacts on survivors—ranging from debilitating fear, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse, to a renewed sense of urgency, where survivors swear to live each day to the fullest and rededicate their lives to helping others. Including the 1977 story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and vocalist Cassie Gaines, Bracing for Impact is as much a horrific account of air disasters as it is a celebration and recognition of the people who survived them. Fans of the 2016 Clint Eastwood film Sully starring Tom Hanks will enjoy this edge-of-your-seat read!

Increasing American fear about terrorism, environmental catastrophes, pandemics, and economic crises has fueled interest in "prepping": confronting disaster by mastering survivalist skills. This trend of self-reliance is not merely evidence of the American belief in the power of the individual; rather, this pragmatic shift away from expecting government aid during a disaster reflects a weakened belief in the bond between government and its citizens during a time of crisis. This ethnographic study explores the rise of the urban preppers' subculture in New York City, shedding light on the distinctive approach of city dwellers in preparing for disaster. With attention to the role of factors such as class, race, gender and one’s expectations of government, it shows that how one imagines Doomsday affects how one prepares for it. Drawing on participant observation, the author explores preppers’ views on the central question of whether to "bug out" or "hunker down" in the event of disaster, and examines the ways in which the prepper economy increases revenue by targeting concerns over developing skills, building networks, securing equipment and arranging a safe locale. A rich qualitative study, Bracing for the Apocalypse will appeal to scholars of sociology and anthropology with interests in urban studies, ethnography and subcultures.