Disaster Policy and Politics: Emergency Management and Homeland Security

by Richard Sylves

Listen to Richard Sylves on his interview from  

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  Interview from which airs on KAMU. Interview air May 20, 2008. In this groundbreaking book, long-time expert and scholar in the field of disaster management, Richard Sylves, comprehensively surveys the field of emergency management while building on his original research and sharing his insider knowledge. Providing much needed synthesis of the field’s major findings, scholarship, and current developments, Sylves structures the book with an analytical framework that focuses on the challenge of effective intergovernmental relations―both across levels of government and across types of disasters―to guide readers through instructive and important political history as well as recent crises.

Whether for an undergraduate studying the topic for the first time or a practitioner looking for professional development, Disaster Policy and Politics will prove to be a highly readable, informative text and handbook aimed at laying a foundation of knowledge and know-how.

Ten chapters offer, among other A valuable learning resource available with the book is a website sponsored by the Public Entity Risk Institute that tracks presidential disaster declarations issued for every state and county from 1953 through 2006.

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jeneane Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was also assigned for our Disaster Policies class. It stressed the importance of emergency management and preparedness. It also stressed the "disaster" of putting FEMA under the umbrella of Homeland Security. This action diluted FEMA's purpose and response abilities and uncovered a lot of very uncomfortable facts about the government. The book is well written and well worth a read if you are interested in any of these subjects.

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly decent book. Manages to keep you interested by using plenty of examples and avoiding bureaucratic language so common in many policy/theory books. I can't say that it really added any new insights as it still felt rather vague and general. It would be a good introductory book to anyone new to the field. But anyone with experience in the Emergency Management field would find most of it redundant.

[Patrick Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the standard for the field. Anyone seeking an introduction to disaster policy or a refresher should consult this book. Sylves knows the technical details, but he doesn't neglect the rough and tumble politics, either, which makes for a good read.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written for the reader to consider the mindset of policy makers and how they react in crisis.