The Unthinkable Amanda Ripley Summary

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The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disasters Strike- And Why The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disasters Strike- And Why by Amanda Ripley discusses many tragic events and disasters and how people survive through them. Amanda Ripley takes the reader over the reasons why some people excel during disasters and why other people freeze during them. She goes through many tragic disasters from September 1, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina to school shootings. Ripley breaks down what she believes is the reasons why people react so differently to these intense situations. In conclusion, Amanda Ripley in The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disasters Strike- And Why goes through many historic tragic events and disasters that have occurred in the United States, …show more content…

One example, she argues, “ Why does every firefighter in Casper, Wyoming (pop. 50,632), have an eighteen-hundred-dollar HAZMAT suit-but we don’t each have a statistically derived ranking of the hazards we actually face, and a smart, creative plan for dealing with them?” (Ripley, 30) With this quote it shows that Ripley believes that regular people need to know the dangers they will likely face and how to properly and safely deal with them. She proves why she believes that by stating, “Only after everything goes wrong do we realize we’re on our own. And the bigger the disaster, the longer we will be on our own. No fire department can be everywhere are once, no matter how good their gear.” (Ripley, 30) Ripley strongly believes that regular, ordinary people are some of the most important people in getting through a disaster, and she strongly believes, due to their importance, that they should be properly educated and informed about the many dangerous and possible disasters that could go their …show more content…

Rick Rescorla is a perfect example of her belief. The recipient of a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart, Rescorla was over qualified for his job as a security guard for Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley, an investment banking company, occupied twenty-two floors of Tower 2 in the World Trade Center. Rescorla believed that the best way for people to succeed and do well under pressure is to practice being under pressure. Because he knew the risk of a terrorist attack on his building, he began hosting random and very serious fire drills. He designed a specific plan for his employees to follow. First they would all meet in the stairwell, and then they would go down the stairs two-by-two one floor at a time, starting with the highest floor, and working down. The drills were so serious that Rescorla required employees to hang up calls with clients and participate in the drill. That was a big deal because having the employees off their phones and not talking to clients was literally costing the company money, but Rescorla did not care

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