"Damon Coppola's Introduction to international disaster management is a single volume sourcebook that makes excellent use of full colour graphics and has numerous inset boxes highlighting aspects of the topics under discussion. The book follows a logical progression starting with the history of disasters and ending with details of disaster management agencies (governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations), where they are located within national government structures, and what they do. The bulk of the book is given over to consideration of hazards, risks and vulnerability, and the four stages of traditional disaster management namely: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. A final chapter deals briefly with special considerations in relation to disasters covering such diverse topics as the media, political will, donor fatigue, state sovereignty, climate change, terrorism, and pandemics. This book is an excellent starting point for the study of disaster planning providing both global perspective and local detail."--Colin Perry, The Brunei Times