Introduction : "life becomes like molten metal" -- pt. 1: Denial. Delay : procrastinating in Tower 1 -- Risk : gambling in New Orleans -- pt. 2: Deliberation. Fear : the body and mind of a hostage -- Resilience : staying cool in Jerusalem -- Groupthink : role playing at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire -- pt. 3: The decisive moment. Panic : a stampede on holy ground -- Paralysis : playing dead in French class -- Heroism : a suicide attempt on the Potomac River -- Conclusion : making new instincts. Nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims? Will our upbringing, our gender, our personality--anything we've ever learned, thought, or dreamed of--ultimately matter? Journalist Amanda Ripley set out to discover what lies beyond fear and speculation, retracing the human response to some of history's epic disasters. She comes back with wisdom about the surprising humanity of crowds, the elegance of the brain's fear circuits, and the stunning inadequacy of many of our evolutionary responses. Most unexpectedly, she discovers the brain's ability to do much, much better, with just a little help.--From publisher description. "Originally published in slightly different form in hardcover in the United States by Crown, New York, in 2008"--Title page verso. Includes bibliographical references (pages [251]-258) and index.

1. Resilience. (Personality trait); 2. Disasters -- Psychological aspects.; 3. Disaster relief.; 4. Preparedness.; 5. Risk management.; 6. Emergency management.; 7. Crisis intervention (Mental health services).; 8. Disaster victims -- Mental health.; 9. Disasters -- Risk assessment.;