When the forces that give our planet life exceed our ability towithstand them, they become disasters. Together they have shaped ourcities and architecture, elevated leaders and toppled governments, influencedthe way we think, feel, fight, unite and pray.  The history of naturaldisasters is a history of ourselves.  The Big Ones investigates some of the most impactful naturaldisasters, and how their reverberations are still felt today.  From a volcaniceruption in Pompeii challenging and reinforcing prevailing views of religion,through the California floods of 1862 and the limitations of memory, to whatHurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami can tell us about governance andglobalisation.  With temperatures rising around the world, naturaldisasters are striking with ever greater frequency.  More than just history or science, The Big Ones is acall to action.  Natural hazards are inevitable; human catastrophes arenot.  With this energising and richly-researched book, Jones offers a lookat our past, readying us to face down the Big Ones in our future.