How should the nation and the world respond to disaster possibilities that, for a variety of psychological and cultural reasons, people find it hard to wrap their minds around? Dealing with this question, this book shows the readers what to worry about and what to dismiss, and also discusses ways of minimizing the most dangerous risks.

Do we need educational reform? Is the interface of law and science awry? These are but a few of the issues canvassed in this fascinating, disturbing, and necessary book.