Today, nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. If we had to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families, how would we react? In her quest for answers, Amanda Ripley recounts her meetings with survivors, and turns to scientists and psychologists for a fuller understanding. Ripley has her own brain examined by researchers and experiences, through realistic simulations, what it might be like to survive a plane crash or to escape a raging fire.