Download or read book Accidents of Nature written by Harriet McBryde Johnson and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-05-02 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Having always prided herself on blending in with "normal" people despite her cerebral palsy, seventeen-year-old Jean begins to question her role in the world while attending a summer camp for children with disabilities.

Download or read book Accidents of Nature written by David L. Brannon and published by Author House. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 26 stories include topics for/about women, men, children, military, dogs, aviation, politics and sci-fi. Most of the stories are humorous or ironic. Some may scare the pants off of you. There is a story about the invasion of the United States because of a failure in our leadership. There is a story about a secret society in our midst that loses control of one of its members. There is a story about ghosts and another about ghost dogs. It's a book for people who want to have fun reading as well as stories that may cause you to wonder about our future.

Download or read book Normal Accidents written by Charles Perrow and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-10-12 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Normal Accidents analyzes the social side of technological risk. Charles Perrow argues that the conventional engineering approach to ensuring safety--building in more warnings and safeguards--fails because systems complexity makes failures inevitable. He asserts that typical precautions, by adding to complexity, may help create new categories of accidents. (At Chernobyl, tests of a new safety system helped produce the meltdown and subsequent fire.) By recognizing two dimensions of risk--complex versus linear interactions, and tight versus loose coupling--this book provides a powerful framework for analyzing risks and the organizations that insist we run them. The first edition fulfilled one reviewer's prediction that it "may mark the beginning of accident research." In the new afterword to this edition Perrow reviews the extensive work on the major accidents of the last fifteen years, including Bhopal, Chernobyl, and the Challenger disaster. The new postscript probes what the author considers to be the "quintessential 'Normal Accident'" of our time: the Y2K computer problem.

Download or read book The Book of Accidents written by Chuck Wendig and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2021-07-20 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A family returns to their hometown—and to the dark past that haunts them still—in this masterpiece of literary horror by the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers “The dread, the scope, the pacing, the turns—I haven’t felt all this so intensely since The Shining.”—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND LIBRARY JOURNAL Long ago, Nathan lived in a house in the country with his abusive father—and has never told his family what happened there. Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures. Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania. Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver. And now what happened long ago is happening again . . . and it is happening to Oliver. He meets a strange boy who becomes his best friend, a boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic. This dark magic puts them at the heart of a battle of good versus evil and a fight for the soul of the family—and perhaps for all of the world. But the Graves family has a secret weapon in this battle: their love for one another.

Download or read book The Lost Time Accidents written by John Wray and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-02-09 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exiled from time after a failed love affair, Waldemar "Waldy" Tolliver is forced to confront a difficult betrayal and his ancestral legacy against a backdrop of historical events in the first half of the twentieth century.

Download or read book Too Late to Die Young written by Harriet McBryde Johnson and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-02-21 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a voice as disarmingly bold, funny, and unsentimental as its author, this is a thoroughly unconventional memoir that shatters the myth of the tragic disabled life.

Download or read book Flirting with Disaster written by Marc S. Gerstein and published by Union Square Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Despite warnings of impending disaster, preemptive action is rarely taken by those who have the ability to do so. How do smart, high-powered people, leaders of global corporations, national institutions, even nations, often get it so wrong? While most investigations focus on the technical causes of disaster, Flirting With Disaster examines the psychological, social, and cultural impediments to whistle-blowing, showing what we can do to reduce the possibility of disasters happening at all"--Publisher's website.

Download or read book Atomic Accidents written by Jim Mahaffey and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “delightfully astute” and “entertaining” history of the mishaps and meltdowns that have marked the path of scientific progress (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Radiation: What could go wrong? In short, plenty. From Marie Curie carrying around a vial of radium salt because she liked the pretty blue glow to the large-scale disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima, dating back to the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. In this lively book, long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy James Mahaffey looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns. Every incident, while taking its toll, has led to new understanding of the mighty atom—and the fascinating frontier of science that still holds both incredible risk and great promise.

Download or read book Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents written by James Reason and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-01-29 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Major accidents are rare events due to the many barriers, safeguards and defences developed by modern technologies. But they continue to happen with saddening regularity and their human and financial consequences are all too often unacceptably catastrophic. One of the greatest challenges we face is to develop more effective ways of both understanding and limiting their occurrence. This lucid book presents a set of common principles to further our knowledge of the causes of major accidents in a wide variety of high-technology systems. It also describes tools and techniques for managing the risks of such organizational accidents that go beyond those currently available to system managers and safety professionals. James Reason deals comprehensively with the prevention of major accidents arising from human and organizational causes. He argues that the same general principles and management techniques are appropriate for many different domains. These include banks and insurance companies just as much as nuclear power plants, oil exploration and production companies, chemical process installations and air, sea and rail transport. Its unique combination of principles and practicalities make this seminal book essential reading for all whose daily business is to manage, audit and regulate hazardous technologies of all kinds. It is relevant to those concerned with understanding and controlling human and organizational factors and will also interest academic readers and those working in industrial and government agencies.

Download or read book There Are No Accidents written by Jessie Singer and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-02-28 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A journalist recounts the surprising history of accidents and reveals how they’ve come to define all that’s wrong with America. We hear it all the time: “Sorry, it was just an accident.” And we’ve been deeply conditioned to just accept that explanation and move on. But as Jessie Singer argues convincingly: There are no such things as accidents. The vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. Singer uncovers just how the term “accident” itself protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm’s way, preventing investigations, pushing off debts, blaming the victims, diluting anger, and even sparking empathy for the perpetrators. As the rate of accidental death skyrockets in America, the poor and people of color end up bearing the brunt of the violence and blame, while the powerful use the excuse of the “accident” to avoid consequences for their actions. Born of the death of her best friend, and the killer who insisted it was an accident, this book is a moving investigation of the sort of tragedies that are all too common, and all too commonly ignored. In this revelatory book, Singer tracks accidental death in America from turn of the century factories and coal mines to today’s urban highways, rural hospitals, and Superfund sites. Drawing connections between traffic accidents, accidental opioid overdoses, and accidental oil spills, Singer proves that what we call accidents are hardly random. Rather, who lives and dies by an accident in America is defined by money and power. She also presents a variety of actions we can take as individuals and as a society to stem the tide of “accidents”—saving lives and holding the guilty to account.

Download or read book Life from an RNA World written by Michael Yarus and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2010-04-15 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A majority of evolutionary biologists believe that we now can envision our biological predecessors--not the first, but nearly the first, living beings on Earth. This book is about these vanished forebears. The era between the first rudimentary life on Earth and the appearance of more complex beings is called the RNA world. It is RNA (ribonucleic acid) long believed to be a mere biologic copier and messenger, that offers a glimpse into our ancient predecessors. To describe early RNA creatures, here called "ribocytes" or RNA cells, the author uses basics of molecular biology. He reviews our current understanding of the tree of life, examines the structure of RNA itself, explains the operation of the genetic code, and more. Courting controversy among those who question the role of ribocytes -- citing the chemical fragility of RNA and the uncertainty about the origin of an RNA synthetic apparatus -- he offers a vision of early life on Earth.

Download or read book Death in Yellowstone written by Lee H. Whittlesey and published by Roberts Rinehart. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The chilling tome that launched an entire genre of books about the often gruesome but always tragic ways people have died in our national parks, this updated edition of the classic includes calamities in Yellowstone from the past sixteen years, including the infamous grizzly bear attacks in the summer of 2011 as well as a fatal hot springs accident in 2000. In these accounts, written with sensitivity as cautionary tales about what to do and what not to do in one of our wildest national parks, Whittlesey recounts deaths ranging from tragedy to folly—from being caught in a freak avalanche to the goring of a photographer who just got a little too close to a bison. Armchair travelers and park visitors alike will be fascinated by this important book detailing the dangers awaiting in our first national park.

Download or read book The Limits of Safety written by Scott Douglas Sagan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental tragedies such as Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez remind us that catastrophic accidents are always possible in a world full of hazardous technologies. Yet, the apparently excellent safety record with nuclear weapons has led scholars, policy-makers, and the public alike to believe that nuclear arsenals can serve as a secure deterrent for the foreseeable future. In this provocative book, Scott Sagan challenges such optimism. Sagan's research into formerly classified archives penetrates the veil of safety that has surrounded U.S. nuclear weapons and reveals a hidden history of frightening "close calls" to disaster.

Download or read book Death in Zion National Park written by Randi Minetor and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Morbid, but strangely fascinating accounts In 2015, a group of seven hikers were killed when a sudden flood struck Keyhole Canyon in Zion National Park. Prior to that, the steep, narrow route to Angels Landing led to at least five fatalities. Numerous people have found that high, exposed places in Zion—such as rim trails—are bad places to be in lightning storms. Death in Zion National Park collects some of the most gripping accounts in park history of the unfortunate events caused by natural forces or human folly.

Download or read book The Happy Accidents written by Jamie Beck and published by Montlake Romance. This book was released on 2021-09-21 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three women wake up to the consequences of one impulsive pact in an insightful novel about friendship, love, and fulfillment by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck. While at a casino to celebrate her birthday, Jessie Clarke proposes a pact to her reserved sister, Liz, and their childhood friend Chloe: the three women will say yes to any adventure that comes their way. Jessie is mourning her recent divorce, so the other two reluctantly agree. Twelve hours later, they awaken to the shocking consequences of their behavior. A viral video throws Liz's career and reputation into question. A major loss at the craps table rocks the foundation of Chloe's staid marriage. And Jessie's desperate bid to unblock her artistic creativity results in a life-changing choice. Staring down the crossroads, each woman finds her relationships--with herself, with each other, and with loves both old and new--tested. At every turn, they struggle not to let fear decide their fates. Will they give in, or will their misadventures lead to the greatest fulfillment of all?

Download or read book Happy Little Accidents written by Bob Ross and published by Running Press Adult. This book was released on 2017-05-09 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A tribute to Bob Ross-the soft-spoken artist known for painting happy clouds, mountains, and trees -- Happy Little Accidents culls his most wise and witty words into one delightful package. Ross has captivated us for years with the magic that takes place on his canvas in twenty-six television minutes-all while dispensing little branches of wisdom. His style and encouraging words are a form of therapy for the weary, but with Bob it is always about more than painting. There is a hidden depth within his easy chatter, another layer to everything he says. When he talks about painting, he's using it as a metaphor for life! Happy Little Accidents: The Wit and Wisdom of Bob Ross opens with an introduction and brief biography of Ross, followed by a collection of Ross's greatest quotes and most majestic works of art. Relax. Unwind. Be inspired.

Download or read book Atomic Accidents written by James Maheffey and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom—and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise.