The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
Howard Kunreuther
(Author)
Robert Meyer
(Author)
Description
"The Ostrich Paradox boldly addresses a key question of our time: Why are we humans so poor at dealing with disastrous risks, and what can we humans do about it? It is a must-read for everyone who cares about risk."
--Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow
-The 6 biases that lead individuals, communities, and institutions to make grave errors that cost lives
-The Behavioral Risk Audit, a systematic approach for improving preparedness by recognizing these biases and designing strategies that anticipate them
-Why, if we are to be better prepared for disasters, we need to learn to be more like ostriches, not less Fast-reading and critically important, The Ostrich Paradox is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand why we consistently underprepare for disasters, as well as private and public leaders, planners, and policy-makers who want to build more prepared communities.
Product Details
Price
$17.99
$16.73
Publisher
Wharton School Press
Publish Date
February 07, 2017
Pages
132
Dimensions
5.5 X 8.4 X 0.5 inches | 0.4 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781613630808
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Robert Meyer, Frederick H. Ecker/MetLife Insurance Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and codirector of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center. His work has appeared in a wide variety of professional journals and books, including the Journal of Consumer Research; Journal of Marketing Research; Journal of Risk and Uncertainty; Marketing Science; Management Science; and Risk Analysis. Howard Kunreuther, James G. Dinan Professor of Decision Sciences and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and codirector of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center. His recent books include At War with the Weather (with Erwann Michel-Kerjan), winner of the Kulp-Wright Book Award from the American Risk and Insurance Association in 2011; Insurance and Behavioral Economics: Improving Decisions in the Most Misunderstood Industry (with Mark Pauly and Stacey McMorrow); and Leadership Dispatches: Chileand#8217;s Extraordinary Comeback from Disaster (with Michael Useem and Erwann Michel-Kerjan).
Reviews
At a time when we face looming short- and long-term risks as varied as terrorism, cyberattacks, and climate change, this timely book diagnoses the innate psychological barriers to effective disaster planning and mitigation. Drawing on a variety of historical lessons and integrating insights into psychology, the authors prescribe practical approaches to disaster preparation. The Ostrich Paradox is a must-read, whether you are protecting the nation or your own family.
Michael Chertoff, Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The Ostrich Paradox is an essential, sobering read for anyone interested in assessing and responding to tomorrow s hazards today. Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther don t just help us understand why we don t prepare for disasters as we should, they also show us how to alter those behaviors and improve preparedness.
Alan Schnitzer, Chief Executive Officer, The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Good things typically come in threes. In The Ostrich Paradox, however, Meyer and Kunreuther skillfully distill a large body of recent psychological insights on the barriers to action in the face of potential peril into four steps of a behavioral risk audit and into four guiding principles to ensure preventive action.
Elke U. Weber, Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University"
The Ostrich Paradox boldly addresses a key question of our time: Why are we humans so poor at dealing with disastrous risks, and what can we humans do about it? It is a must-read for everyone who cares about risk.
Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow
At a time when we face looming short- and long-term risks as varied as terrorism, cyberattacks, and climate change, this timely book diagnoses the innate psychological barriers to effective disaster planning and mitigation. Drawing on a variety of historical lessons and integrating insights into psychology, the authors prescribe practical approaches to disaster preparation. The Ostrich Paradox is a must-read, whether you are protecting the nation or your own family.
Michael Chertoff, Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The Ostrich Paradox is an essential, sobering read for anyone interested in assessing and responding to tomorrow s hazards today. Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther don t just help us understand why we don t prepare for disasters as we should, they also show us how to alter those behaviors and improve preparedness.
Alan Schnitzer, Chief Executive Officer, The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Good things typically come in threes. In The Ostrich Paradox, however, Meyer and Kunreuther skillfully distill a large body of recent psychological insights on the barriers to action in the face of potential peril into four steps of a behavioral risk audit and into four guiding principles to ensure preventive action.
Elke U. Weber, Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University"
"The Ostrich Paradox boldly addresses a key question of our time: Why are we humans so poor at dealing with disastrous risks, and what can we humans do about it? It is a must-read for everyone who cares about risk."
--Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow "At a time when we face looming short- and long-term risks as varied as terrorism, cyberattacks, and climate change, this timely book diagnoses the innate psychological barriers to effective disaster planning and mitigation. Drawing on a variety of historical lessons and integrating insights into psychology, the authors prescribe practical approaches to disaster preparation. The Ostrich Paradox is a must-read, whether you are protecting the nation or your own family."
--Michael Chertoff, Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security "The Ostrich Paradox is an essential, sobering read for anyone interested in assessing and responding to tomorrow's hazards today. Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther don't just help us understand why we don't prepare for disasters as we should, they also show us how to alter those behaviors and improve preparedness."
--Alan Schnitzer, Chief Executive Officer, The Travelers Companies, Inc. "Good things typically come in threes. In The Ostrich Paradox, however, Meyer and Kunreuther skillfully distill a large body of recent psychological insights on the barriers to action in the face of potential peril into four steps of a behavioral risk audit and into four guiding principles to ensure preventive action."
--Elke U. Weber, Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University
