The Angry Earth: Disaster in Anthropological Perspective

From hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes to oil spills and nuclear accidents, natural and technological disasters have become increasingly frequent and destructive across the planet. This ground-breaking collection of essays explores how various cultures in different historical moments have responded to calamity, offering new insights into the complex relationship between society and environment. Through case studies of communities in Great Britain, the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas, contributors examine issues ranging from the social and political factors that set the stage for disaster, to the cultural processes experienced by survivors, to the long-term impact of disasters on culture and society.

Anthony Oliver-Smith is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Florida. He is author of The Martyred City: Death and Rebirth in the Andes (1986) and editor of Natural Disasters and Cultural Responses (1988). Susanna Hoffman is an anthropologist, filmmaker, and popular writer whose works include The Classified Man (1980) and the film Kypseli: Men and Women Apart--A Divided Reality (1974).