Amanda Ripley is een onderzoeksjournaliste wiens werk zich verdiept in de complexiteit van menselijk gedrag tijdens crisissituaties en wereldwijde onderwijssystemen. Ze onderzoekt waarom mensen de keuzes maken die ze maken wanneer ze met rampen worden geconfronteerd, en zoekt naar de onderliggende factoren voor overleving en veerkracht. Ripley onderzoekt ook onderwijsmethoden en hun impact op de ontwikkeling van jonge geesten, en ontdekt wat bijdraagt aan academische excellentie. Haar aanpak is gebaseerd op rigoureus veldonderzoek en een verlangen om de fundamentele principes te onthullen die ons leven vormgeven.
From the bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World comes the first major book to use cutting-edge science and investigative reporting to explain the lure of malignant conflict in our private and public lives.
"In the tradition of bestselling explainers like The Tipping Point, [this] book [is] based on cutting edge science that breaks down the idea of extreme conflict--the kind that paralyzes people and places--and then shows how to escape it"--
Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--and Why
Exploring human reactions to emergencies and disasters, the author examines historical events and consults brain scientists to understand psychological responses. By delving into her own imagination, she uncovers the complexities of how individuals cope during crises, offering insights into resilience and vulnerability in the face of chaos.
'[Ripley] gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange...The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes.' New York Times Book Review
Following three teenagers who chose to spend one school year living in Finland, South Korea, and Poland, a literary journalist recounts how attitudes, parenting, and rigorous teaching have revolutionized these countries' education results.