About the Book: Rebecca Solnit explores how catastrophes—like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Halifax Explosion (1917), the 1985 Mexico City quake, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina—reveal our capacity for extraordinary altruism, solidarity, and community-based resilience. Through sociological insight and vivid storytelling, she challenges the myth of mass panic, instead showing how “disaster cracks us open to our better selves”. Solnit introduces the term “élite panic,” describing how those in power often respond to crises with fear and authoritarian control—overshadowing spontaneous, improvised acts of kindness. Ultimately, the book offers a hopeful reimagining of society—one rooted in mutual aid and communal trust, even amid chaos
