A Crack in the Edge of the World

"In 1906, one of the largest earthquakes in American history almost entirely destroyed the American West’s great city of San Francisco. Simon Winchester focuses on the response to the earthquake, which was one of the first to be documented by the media. The earthquake caused a fire that lasted for three days and was far more destructive than the quake itself. Insurance companies refused to pay out in the majority of cases because few people at that time had cover specifically for earthquakes. Though it focuses less on the human stories and more on rebuilding, it provides a very comprehensive ‘bigger picture’ of disaster. It’s not an easy book to read for those without a basic understanding of geography and how earthquakes occur, but it’s terrific for an advanced level understanding."