California earthquakes

"In 1906, after an earthquake wiped out much of San Francisco, leading California officials and scientists described the disaster as a one-time occurrence and assured the public that it had nothing to worry about. California Earthquakes explains how, over time, this attitude changed, and Californians came to accept earthquakes as a significant threat, as well as to understand how science and technology could reduce this threat.".

"Tracing the history of seismology and the rise of the regulatory state and environmental awareness, California Earthquakes examines how earthquake-hazard management came about, why some groups assisted and others fought it, and how scientists and engineers helped shape it."--BOOK JACKET.