From Booklist
Reviewed with
Tornadoes, edited by Nancy Harris.
Gr. 9-12. "Natural disasters can have as much impact on human societies as the bloodiest wars," notes the introduction to these titles in the new Great Disasters series. Each volume collects excerpts from articles and historical documents that represent a range of opinions about the science behind cataclysmic events and how those catastrophes have affected human life. In The Black Death readers will be particularly intrigued by a 1365 treatise on plague prevention that suggests avoiding baths and hot food, and a terrifying eyewitness account in Tornadoes that describes what it feels like to be inside a roaring funnel cloud. Black Plague concludes with articles that offer differing views on the plague's repercussions, illustrating the subjectivity of historical interpretation, and Tor nadoes closes with pieces about new tracking and prevention technology. A smattering of maps, photos, and engravings illustrate. Each well-edited selection begins with a concise, clear introduction and an annotated table of contents; appended are a bibliography and suggestions for further research. Excellent titles to support reports or high-school speech assignments. Gillian Engberg
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