In this somewhat controversial book, Dr. Amos Nur, a professor of geophysics at Stanford, argues for nothing less than a rethinking of ancient history. Dr. Nur believes that many of the collapses of civilizations in the ancient world resulted not from conflict with invaders as is commonly believed  but from earthquakes.

Nur bases his theory on clues from both geophysics and archeology, making the case that subtle clues to actual destruction are often overlooked. For example, sites that were supposedly overrun by invaders still retain household goods that would have been looted and evidence of burning is ofter minimal or absent. Skeletons with crush injuries are found within structures from which one would have expected the occupants to have fled during invasion.

Dr. Nur goes a bit deeper, though. He also talks about the world of archeology and shows how those that propose alternate theories are often ostracized and ignored. New theories are not always welcome, despite the evidence when academic reputations rest on the status quo.

While not everyone agrees with Dr. Nur, his book is thought-provoking and well-written. If he is correct, earthquakes may have had a greater impact on human civilization than has been believed, making emergency management even more important.