Although the social theory offered is outdated, the ideas presented, particularly about individual and collective trauma, are still useful. And anyway, his work with the old theory is really well described, vivid. More importantly, the respectful physical and psychological portrait drawn of the Buffalo Creek disaster of 1972 is indelible and incredibly touching. For me, the setting of both natural resource exploitation and natural disaster, and their destruction of local community, is especially relevant for my research in Aceh.