A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in DisasterThe author of Men Explain Things to Me explores the moments of altruism and generosity that arise in the aftermath of disaster Why is it that in the aftermath of a disaster? whether manmade or natural?people suddenly become altruistic, resourceful, and brave? What makes the newfound communities and purpose many find in the ruins and crises after disaster so joyous? And what does this joy reveal about ordinarily unmet social desires and possibilities? In A Paradise Built in Hell, award-winning author Rebecca Solnit explores these phenomena, looking at major calamities from the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco through the 1917 explosion that tore up Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She examines how disaster throws people into a temporary utopia of changed states of mind and social possibilities, as well as looking at the cost of the widespread myths and rarer real cases of social deterioration during crisis. This is a timely and important book from an acclaimed author whose work consistently locates unseen patterns and meanings in broad cultural histories. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - BrentN - LibraryThingSolnit's thesis is that the ordinary folk tend to not act like animals when the poop starts flying. Well and good. She has gathered a mountain of research on the subject, which I love to see. My own ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - wunder - LibraryThingSolnit's books are always a slow read for me, not sure why. I bogged down a bit early on, but the stories are great and it is worth working through to the end. Pretty much everything you know about citizens in disasters is wrong. Read full review
Contents
| 1 | |
Mutual Aid in the Marketplace | 183 |
The Need to Help | 195 |
Nine Hundred and Eleven Questions | 211 |
Murderers | 247 |
Love and Lifeboats | 267 |
Beloved Community | 282 |
The Mizpah Café | 295 |
The Doorway in the Ruins | 305 |
Other editions - View all
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster Rebecca Solnit No preview available - 2010 |
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster Rebecca Solnit No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
Algiers American attack became become began believe boat bring building called Center citizens civil coming created death disaster early earthquake emergency evacuation experience fear feel felt fire flooded force give going Ground groups hand happened human hundred Hurricane interview James Katrina killed kind largely later lived looked major March matter means Mexico months move mutual aid nature neighborhood neighbors never night officials organization Orleans panic police political poor possible response San Francisco saved seemed sense September social society stories streets supplies talk things thousand tion told took towers turned United University volunteers walking wanted weeks wrote York young
Bibliographic information
| Title | A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster |
| Author | Rebecca Solnit |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Penguin, 2010 |
| ISBN | 1101459018, 9781101459010 |
| Length | 368 pages |
| Subjects | › History / Social History Psychology / Social Psychology Social Science / Disasters & Disaster Relief |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |