My name is Wendy. I was a 14-year-old girl just trying to make it in today's cruel world. I lived in Florida with my mom and stepdad, and then was sent to live with my dad and his wife Karen in South Boston, mainly because I didn't get along with my stepdad. Even though I loved my dad and Karen a lot, I revolted against them any way I could. My first week there as I was sitting outside eating lunch, a little sparrow flew down and sat on the table with me. I was shocked and didn't know what to do. I tossed her a piece of bread and she took it and flew back to her nest. Minutes later she flew back. I was surprised as she hopped over and into my hands as I fed her. I named her Tiffany because she had sparkling eyes and I loved that name. She became my best friend and was always there for me. I was really bad the whole time I lived in Boston. I didn't mean to be, but I wanted to go back home where my true friends were. After being sent home, I didn't change my ways and became more defiant. Somehow I wish I could turn back the clock and change the way things turned out, but that can't happen. We learn to live with our mistakes, but I wish Tiffany was here with me. I missed her the most ... James A. Richardson, Jr. says, "My wife Karen is a strong woman all around with a loving heart. Wendy is my daughter from a previous marriage, and Tiffany was a little sparrow that became our friend and family." Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/JamesARichardsonJr

The government's response to Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, suffered numerous criticisms. Nearly every assessment pointed to failure, from evaluations of President George W. Bush, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security to the state of Louisiana and the city administration of New Orleans. In Managing Hurricane Katrina: Lessons from a Megacrisis, Arjen Boin, Christer Brown, and James A. Richardson deliver a more nuanced examination of the storm's aftermath than the ones anchored in public memory, and identify aspects of management that offer more positive examples of leadership than bureaucratic and media reports indicated. Katrina may be the most extensively studied disaster to date, but the authors argue that many academic conclusions are inaccurate or contradictory when examined in concert. Drawing on insights from crisis and disaster management studies, Boin, Brown, and Richardson apply a clear framework to objectively analyze the actions of various officials and organizations during and after Katrina. They specify critical factors that determine the successes and failures of a societal response to catastrophes and demonstrate how to utilize their framework in future superdisasters. Going beyond previous assessments, Managing Hurricane Katrina reconsiders the role of government in both preparing for a megacrisis and building an effective response network at a time when citizens need it most.