POPULAR SCIENCE. Why did no one consider that a tsunami could disable the nuclear power plant in Fukushima? Why did so many die when Katrina flooded New Orleans? Not so long ago we could only focus on rescuing and sheltering survivors - now we can anticipate many natural disasters and plan for them. In dozens of cities around the world, we're able to identify the specific buildings that will be shaken apart, blown down or reduced to rubble. Yet every year, for reasons of politics and inertia, we fail to act. Despite a revolution in our understanding of these catastrophes, since 2000 they've killed more people than ever before. Taking us on a fascinating journey through the history of catastrophe science, with forensic examinations of the most devastating cataclysms in living memory, Robert Muir-Wood provides a riveting account of our attempts to tame the most extreme forces of nature.