Washoe County Library System

Discover how human beings react to danger—and what makes the difference between life and death

“Fascinating and useful . . . [shows that] the most important variable in an emergency is your own behavior.”—The New York Times
Today, nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to...

"Eat smart, exercise regularly, and get routine health screenings," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises the public in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And that is absolutely true - except for the checkup part. The American public has been sold the idea that seeking medical care is one of the most important steps to maintain wellness. However, surprisingly, medical care is not in fact well correlated with good health. The major...

Whether we realise it or not, we all take risks large and small every day. Even the most cautious among us cannot opt out - the question is always which risks to take, not whether to take them at all. What most of us don't know is how to measure those risks and maximise the chances of getting what we want out of life. In An Economist Walks into a Brothel, Allison Schrager equips readers with five principles for dealing with risk, principles used by...

The true story of Christopher McCandless, a college graduate with a promising future, who walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, Christopher McCandless walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people, a fearless risk-taker...

"Is it safer to fly or take the train? How dangerous is skydiving? And is eating that extra sausage going to kill you? We've all heard the statistics for risky activities, but what do they mean in the real world? In The Norm Chronicles, journalist Michael Blastland and risk expert David Spiegelhalter explore these questions through the stories of average Norm and an ingenious measurement called the MicroMort-a one in a million chance of dying. They...

Learning to say "no" to cigarettes, drugs, and other dangers is one of the most important tools a child can have. In this new book by Slim Goodbody, children are taught to understand when and why they need to say "no", and how to refuse and still keep their friends.

A passionate and inspiring look at former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to expose the myths and misconceptions of global warming, and to create public awareness on the subject.