Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Salim S. Abdool Karim was catapulted into a prominent position in the media and on television as the face of South African science in the country's response to the pandemic. Up to that point, his groundbreaking research on AIDS had garnered many awards, leading to his recognition as one of the world’s leading epidemiologists, making him ideally positioned to take the scientific lead in the Covid-19 response.

Standing Up for Science is Abdool Karim’s personal, behind-the-scenes account of the first three years of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is inspiring and informative, shedding light on the difficulties in providing scientific advice, on the international co-operation that was integral to responding to the pandemic, as well as giving insight to some of the controversies in the science-to-policy process, and drawing lessons from Covid-19 to prepare for future pandemics.

Beyond the recent events in which the story is grounded, the book is an ode to the value of science and its power to help us tackle some of the world's biggest problems.

A richly imagined new view on the great human tradition of apocalypse, from the rise of Homo sapiens to the climate instability of our present, that defies conventional wisdom and long-held stories about our deep past to reveal how cataclysmic events are not irrevocable endings, but transformations.

A drought lasts for decades, a disease rips through a city, a civilization collapses. When we finally uncover the ruins, we ask: What happened? The good news is, we’ve been here before. History is long, and people have already confronted just about every apocalypse we’re facing today. But these days, archaeologists are getting better at seeing stories of survival, transformation, and even progress hidden within those histories of collapse and destruction. Perhaps, we begin to see, apocalypses do not destroy worlds, but create them anew.

Apocalypse offers a new way of understanding human history, reframing it as a series of crises and cataclysms that we survived, moments of choice in an evolution of humanity that has never been predetermined or even linear. Here Lizzie Wade asks us to reckon with our long-held narratives of these events, from the end of Old Kingdom Egypt, the collapse of the Classic Maya, to the Black Death, and shows us how people lived through and beyond them—and even considered what a new world could look like in their wake.

The more we learn about apocalypses past, the more hope we have that we will survive our own. It won’t be pleasant. It won’t be fair. The world will be different on the other side, and our cultures and communities—perhaps even our species—will be different too.

Nadat Ockert en Michele Potgieter getroud is, het hulle hul tasse gepak en vertrek Oekraïne toe, nie vir hulle wittebrood nie, maar om daar te werk onder die mense wat onlangs bevry is van agter die ystergordyn.

Dit is egter ’n groot ontnugtering vir Michele in die begin – dit is yskoud in die winter en snikwarm in die somer. Die meeste huise het net buitetoilette en daar is min verskeidenheid in basiese kruideniersware. Die mense is baie vriendelik en hulle word meestal met oop arms verwelkom. Maar alles is nie altyd maklik nie, daar is ’n noue ontkoming met die mafia, agtervolging deur die KGB en verraad van binne die gemeente. Dan sterf Ockert tydens die Covid 19-pandemie tydens ’n besoek aan Suid-Afrika. Michele moet besluit of sy teruggaan Oekraïne toe, waar ’n oorlog dreig en of sy in Suid-Afrika by haar mense en haar kinders bly.

Dit is ’n aangrypende verhaal oor liefde: liefde vir God, vir die mense van die Oekraïne, maar ook die liefde tussen Michele, Ockert en hul kinders.

Toe die eerste bomme op Februarie 2022 Kijif aan flarde skiet, was Kobus Olivier gereed. Maar om te vlug was bloot nie ’n opsie nie – wat sou van sy vier geliefde honde word?

In Met my honde word Kobus en sy vier brakke se verhaal vertel.

Die angswekkende nagte terwyl bomme om hul neerreën, die verhaal van onvoorwaardelike liefde tussen mens en dier, en hoe jy selfs tydens ’n oorlog op die hulp van vreemdelinge kan staatmaak.

The first comprehensive examination of the relationship between war and public health, this book documents the public health consequences of war and describes what health professionals can do to minimise these consequences. It explores the effects of war on health, human rights, and the environment. The health and environmental impact of both conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons) is described in chapters that cover the consequences of their production, testing, maintenance, use, and disposal. Separate chapters cover especially vulnerable populations, such as women, children, and refugees. In-depth descriptions of specific military conflicts, including the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and wars in Central America provide striking illustrations of the issues covered in other chapters. A series of chapters explores the roles of health professionals and of organisations during war, and in preventing war and its consequences. This revised second edition includes seven new chapters, including one on landmines by the Nobel Prize-winning founding director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Dit is 1713. VOC-admiraal Johannes van Steelant bring sy ryklik belaaide retoervloot via die Kaapse diensstasie terug na Nederland uit Batavia. Saam op die vlagskip, sy vyf jong kinders. Op die oop see raak hulle een-een siek. Hete koors, maagpyn, swere – die gevreesde pokke.

Op 12 Februarie gaan die gesin, nou almal gesond, aan land in Tafelbaai. Hul skeepsklere word gewas in die VOC se slawelosie. Enkele maande later is byna die helfte van die Kaapse bevolking dood aan pokke.

In Retoervloot bring VOC-kenner Dan Sleigh dié gegewe, en die verbysterende werkinge van die VOC-retoervlootstelsel, lewend voor die oog. Aan die hand van Van Steelant se nuut-ontdekte skeepsjoernaal, met die agtergrondinkleding wat ’n meesterlike geskiedkundige soos Sleigh kan bied, staan die leser op die dek van vlagskip Sandenburg – ’n magtige skip van ’n roemryke organisasie, dog uitgelewer aan die woedende oseaan. Verder is Retoervloot ’n gedenksteen vir Kaapstad se grootste ramp tot op hede

When writer Harriet Perlman and photographer Mark Lewis set about documenting the lives of the families whose loved ones had been so horribly killed in the Life Esidemi tragedy, they were determined to honour the dead, and to recognise the sufferings of those left behind. They embarked on a journey across South Africa, meeting face-to-face with families grappling with the unimaginable loss of loved ones. Their heartbreaking stories, accompanied by powerful photographs, forge a deep connection with the victims. These portraits are not just faces on a page, but a testament to the human cost of this tragedy.

In late 2015 and 2016, South Africa witnessed a horrific human rights tragedy. 144 people entrusted to the public health system died from neglect, starvation, and torture. This book delves into this heartbreaking event, the Life Esidimeni tragedy, offering a powerful narrative built on the stories of those most affected.

The investigation goes beyond the headlines, exposing the systemic failures that led to this national crisis. It explores the vast distances families were forced to travel in search of their loved ones, many living on the periphery with limited resources. This unflinching book sheds light on the social and economic factors that contributed to the Life Esidimeni disaster.

This book is not merely a chronicle of loss; it is a celebration of resilience and courage. It shines a light on the tireless efforts of organisations like SECTION27, SADAG, and the Life Esidimeni Family Committee. These unsung heroes fought relentlessly for truth, justice and accountability, holding those in power responsible for their actions.

Utilizing extensive research in economics, psychology, political science, neuroscience and evolutionary theory, Ananish Chaudhuri provides a critical perspective on the role of cognitive biases in decision-making during the Covid-19 pandemic. The extensive use of, and support for, stringent social distancing measures in particular is explored in depth. Nudged into Lockdown? provides clear explanations of complex scientific information regarding Covid-19, vaccines, and policy responses, to highlight issues at the center of policy-making during the pandemic. With a comprehensive overview of the policy debates around Covid-19, the book offers an alternative thought-provoking perspective on the topic, as well as suggestions for policy-making during future pandemics and other crises. It further highlights applications of a range of concepts from heuristics and biases literature, including priming, framing, anchoring, Prospect Theory, and loss aversion. Providing directions for future research in the area, this book will be an invigorating read for established academics, as well as postgraduate students looking to undertake research in Covid-19 related decision-making. It will also be a critical read for economics, political science, and public policy scholars seeking a deeper understanding of the topic.

CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, MD, offers an accessible, data-packed answer to our biggest questions about Covid-19: What have we learned about this pandemic and how can we prepare for—or prevent—the next one?

As America’s favorite frontline Covid-19 health journalist, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has barely left his primetime seat in his makeshift studio basement since the pandemic began (other than to perform brain surgery). He’s had the insider of insider access to the drama’s unfolding, including exclusive conversations with the world’s top public health experts and behind-the-scenes scientists racing to find treatments and cures. And now he’s sharing what he’s learned in a book that will answer not only all our questions about what happened, but also about how our world will change in the years ahead, even once we’re back to “normal.”

Gupta argues that we need to prepare for a new era where pandemics will be more frequent, and possibly even more deadly. As the doctor who’s been holding America’s hand through the crisis with compassion, clarity, and well-earned wisdom, he gives you the unvarnished story behind the pandemic, including insights about the novel virus’s behavior, and offers practical tools to ready ourselves for what lies ahead. He answers critical questions: Can we stamp out the virus for good (and if not, how do we live with it)? Should we put our parents in a nursing home? Where should we live? What should we stockpile? What should we know before taking a trip? Does it make sense to spend more on health insurance to deal with any long-term effects? How do you decide when it’s safe to go to a public pool or schedule elective surgery? What should Covid survivors know about protecting their future health? What if you become a long-hauler with chronic health challenges stemming?

World War C will give you hope for the future along with real information that leaves you more resilient and secure.

From preeminent LGBTQ scholar, social critic, and journalist Steven W. Thrasher comes a powerful and crucial exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our times: how viruses expose the fault lines of society.

Having spent a ground-breaking career studying the racialization, policing, and criminalization of HIV, Dr. Thrasher has come to understand a deeper truth at the heart of our society: that there are vast inequalities in who is able to survive viruses and that the ways in which viruses spread, kill, and take their toll are much more dependent on social structures than they are on biology alone.

Told through the heart-rending stories of friends, activists, and teachers navigating the novel coronavirus, HIV, and other viruses, Dr. Thrasher brings the reader with him as he delves into the viral underclass and lays bare its inner workings. In the tradition of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, The Viral Underclass helps us understand the world more deeply by showing the fraught relationship between privilege and survival.

A brilliantly original exploration of our obsession with the end of the world, from Mary Shelley’s The Last Man to the Manic Street Preachers’ Everything Must Go.

For two millennia, Christians have anticipated the end of the world, haunted by the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelation. But over the past two centuries, these dark fantasies have given way to secular stories of how the world, our planet, or our species (or all of the above) might be annihilated.

In Everything Must Go – a cultural history of the modern world that weaves together politics, history, science, high and popular culture – Dorian Lynskey explores the endings that we have read, listened to, or watched, while perched on the edge of our seats with eyes wide, (mostly) loving every moment.

Whether with visions of destruction by nuclear holocaust or a mighty collision with a meteor, a devastating epidemic or a violent takeover by robots, why do we like to scare ourselves, and why do we keep coming back for more?

Deeply illuminating about our past, our present and – given the revelation that the end of the world has seemingly always been nigh – hopeful about our future, Everything Must Go will grip you from beginning to, well, end.

Evaluating the myriad dimensions of how disasters can affect economic activity and decision-making, this cutting-edge Handbook presents a timely analysis of the conditions that reduce or exacerbate disaster impacts. Addressing developments in research on disaster economics, internationally recognized scholars explore the role of both the private and public sectors in managing and mitigating disasters. Chapters discuss important theoretical considerations in the evaluation of the impacts of disasters on economic activity, including the behavioral consequences, biases and heuristics, and risk preferences. Delving deeper into disaster economics, the Handbook then presents empirical methods and applications used in modelling disaster impact evaluation, with research focusing on impacts on economic growth, government fiscal and social conditions, well-being, and migration. Informed by the latest research on the economics of pandemics, the Handbook concludes by presenting novel approaches to evaluating and improving risk management, resilience, recovery and adaptability in the face of disasters. A valuable resource for conducting research, this Handbook will prove vital to students and scholars of developmental and environmental economics. Providing a broad range of guidance from disaster response experts, it will also prove useful to practitioners and policymakers concerned with the economics of disasters.

Poverty remains a problem in Europe, raising the need for new solutions. In this thought-provoking book the contributors delve deeply into the everyday lives of poor households to see which practices and resources they apply to improve their situations. One of the key findings is that social resilience requires a functioning welfare state operating as a warrantor of common and public goods, on which poor households can build up resilient practices. This insightful book illustrates that in addition to sufficient welfare transfers, there is a need for low-commodified common goods, including public health services, access to housing, education infrastructures and public space. These need to be made available not only for the registered poor but all low-income households. Drawing on over 400 interviews with families and experts across Europe, the chapters demonstrate the need for social policy to become more tolerant towards various forms of small additional income generation and non-commodified values and lifestyles. Poverty, Crisis and Resilience will be a key resource for students and scholars of social policy, poverty research and sociology, while also being of value to social policy practitioners within the charity sector, welfare state administration, social work, politics and counselling.

This comprehensive Handbook assesses the escalation of global natural disasters as a result of climate change. Examining the complex interplay of human and natural activities, it highlights the growing vulnerability of people and communities in developing countries to floods, landslides, cyclones, heat waves and wildfires. The Handbook opens with a global framework analysis, outlining the implications of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction. International contributors address the roles of stakeholders in mitigating climate hazards, as well as offer detailed analysis of cross-cutting issues, including poverty, health, education and gender. Concluding chapters address the future of climate change mitigation and disaster protection, exploring the growing role of emerging technologies in disaster resilience and sustainable development. Bringing together cutting-edge research from renowned global scholars and professionals, this Handbook offers key insights for researchers and students of environmental studies and development studies, particularly those focusing on natural disasters and climate technologies. The empirical data and case analysis will also benefit practitioners, professionals and policymakers working in climate risk relief.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. With disasters increasing in both frequency and intensity, this timely Advanced Introduction provides a fresh perspective on how the concepts established in the Sendai Framework can be put into practice to reduce disaster risk, improve preparedness in cost-effective ways, and develop whole-of-society approaches to increasing resilience. Key Features: Provides evidence-informed coverage of the core areas of disaster risk reduction Identifies the implementation issues and challenges to anticipation, preparedness, evaluation and governance and the strategies that can be used to facilitate it Discusses individual and collective ways to manage recovery and to learn from disaster experiences and programmes such as Build Back Better to prepare people to deal with disasters more effectively in the future Incorporating research on preparedness modelling, evaluation strategies, adaptive governance, and transformative learning, this Advanced Introduction will be invaluable to students and scholars of environmental management, governance and regulation interested in disaster risk reduction. It will also be a vital resource to policymakers looking to strengthen their disaster preparedness and recovery measures.

More than fifteen years later, Hurricane Katrina maintains a strong grip on the American imagination. The reason is not simply that Katrina was an event of enormous scale, although it certainly was by any measure one of the most damaging storms in American history. But, quite apart from its lethality and destructiveness, Katrina retains a place in living memory because it is one of the most telling disasters in our recent national experience, revealing important truths about our society and ourselves. The final volume in the award-winning Katrina Bookshelf series Higher Ground reflects upon what we have learned about Katrina and about America. Kai Erikson and Lori Peek expand our view of the disaster by assessing its ongoing impact on individual lives and across the wide-ranging geographies where displaced New Orleanians landed after the storm. Such an expanded view, the authors argue, is critical for understanding the human costs of catastrophe across time and space. Concluding with a broader examination of disasters in the years since Katrina-including COVID-19-The Continuing Storm is a sobering meditation on the duration of a catastrophe that continues to exact steep costs in human suffering.

Utilizing extensive research in economics, psychology, political science, neuroscience and evolutionary theory, Ananish Chaudhuri provides a critical perspective on the role of cognitive biases in decision-making during the Covid-19 pandemic. The extensive use of, and support for, stringent social distancing measures in particular is explored in depth. Nudged into Lockdown? provides clear explanations of complex scientific information regarding Covid-19, vaccines, and policy responses, to highlight issues at the center of policy-making during the pandemic. With a comprehensive overview of the policy debates around Covid-19, the book offers an alternative thought-provoking perspective on the topic, as well as suggestions for policy-making during future pandemics and other crises. It further highlights applications of a range of concepts from heuristics and biases literature, including priming, framing, anchoring, Prospect Theory, and loss aversion. Providing directions for future research in the area, this book will be an invigorating read for established academics, as well as postgraduate students looking to undertake research in Covid-19 related decision-making. It will also be a critical read for economics, political science, and public policy scholars seeking a deeper understanding of the topic.

From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways’ desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann’s work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. With disasters increasing in both frequency and intensity, this timely Advanced Introduction provides a fresh perspective on how the concepts established in the Sendai Framework can be put into practice to reduce disaster risk, improve preparedness in cost-effective ways, and develop whole-of-society approaches to increasing resilience. Key Features: Provides evidence-informed coverage of the core areas of disaster risk reduction Identifies the implementation issues and challenges to anticipation, preparedness, evaluation and governance and the strategies that can be used to facilitate it Discusses individual and collective ways to manage recovery and to learn from disaster experiences and programmes such as Build Back Better to prepare people to deal with disasters more effectively in the future Incorporating research on preparedness modelling, evaluation strategies, adaptive governance, and transformative learning, this Advanced Introduction will be invaluable to students and scholars of environmental management, governance and regulation interested in disaster risk reduction. It will also be a vital resource to policymakers looking to strengthen their disaster preparedness and recovery measures.

This timely book unpacks the idea of 'disaster' from a variety of approaches, broadening understanding and improving the usability of this complex and often contested concept. Including multidisciplinary perspectives from leading and emerging scholars, it offers reflections on how the concept of disaster has been shaped by and within various fields of research, providing complementary and thought-provoking comparisons across many domains. Functioning as an important point of reference between and across disciplines, chapters explore the forces and building blocks of disaster and how these are interpreted, providing opportunities for dialogue between multiple points of view. The book concludes with a broader, integrated discussion of the aspects of disaster research covered, putting forward suggestions for further cooperation between disciplines and a future research agenda. Defining Disaster will be a fascinating read for disaster researchers in disciplines including law, sociology, and social and public policy who wish to improve their understanding of how their work maps onto the wider field. It will also be beneficial for policy makers and practitioners in this area looking for a rounded view of contemporary cross-disciplinary research on the subject.