Learning from Catastrophes

Terrorism, tsunamis, earthquakes, war, drought and the unpredictability of geopolitics.  How can we ever be fully prepared for events that go far beyond anything we might anticipate in the course of normal, day to day decisions?  The past decade, even the past few years, have demonstrated that not only do disasters happen with increasing regularity, they are happening more frequently in our hyperannuated world. Howard Kunreuther Professor of Decision Sciences and Public Policy at The Wharton School, has edited a volume entitled Learning from Catastrophes: Strategies for Reaction and Response. In it, some of the worlds leading experts in risk assessment and management, discuss how we can successfully navigate the hazards of the 21st century. My conversation with Howard Kunreuther: