In The Ostrich Paradox, Wharton professors Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther draw on years of teaching and research to explain why disaster preparedness efforts consistently fall short. Filled with heartbreaking stories of loss and resilience, the book is a must-read for policy-makers who want to build more prepared communities.
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).
"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*
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