Support Us
Five Books
 
Search
MENU MENU
  • Nonfiction
        • NONFICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NONFICTION 2023
        • BEST NONFICTION 2024
        • BEST BIOGRAPHIES
          • Historical Biographies
          • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
          • Philosophical Biographies
        • True Crime
        • History Books
          • World War 2
          • World History
          • American History
          • British History
          • Chinese History
          • Russian History
          • Ancient History (up to c. 500 AD)
          • Medieval History
          • Military History
        • Art
          • Art History
        • Travel Books
        • Essays
        • Philosophy Books
          • Ancient Philosophy
          • Contemporary Philosophy
          • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
          • Great Philosophers
          • Social & Political Philosophy
        • Classical Studies
        • Science
          • New Science Books
          • Astronomy
          • Biology
          • Chemistry
          • Maths & Statistics
          • Popular Science
          • Physics Books
        • Nature
        • Environmental Books
          • Climate Change Books
        • Language
          • How to Write
          • English Grammar & Usage
          • Books for Learning Languages
          • Linguistics
        • Politics & Society
          • Political Ideologies
          • Migration
          • War
          • Foreign Policy & International Relations
          • American Politics
          • British Politics
        • Religion
          • Theology
          • Buddhism
          • Christian
          • Islamic
          • Jewish
          • Religious History Books
        • Law
        • Psychology
          • Mental Health
          • Neuroscience
          • Self Help
          • Child Psychology
        • Music & Drama
          • Film & Cinema
          • Opera & Classical Music
        • Economics Books
          • Behavioural Economics
          • Development Economics
          • Economic History
          • Finance
          • Financial Crisis
          • World Economies
        • Business Books
          • Investing Books
        • Technology
          • Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
          • Data Science Books
          • Computing
        • Health & Lifestyle
          • Happiness
          • Sex & Sexuality
          • Death & Dying
          • Education
        • Food & Cooking
        • Sports, Games & Hobbies
  • Fiction & Literature
        • FICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NOVELS 2024
        • BEST FICTION 2023
        • Contemporary Fiction
          • New Literary Fiction
        • World Literature
        • Literary Criticism
        • Literary Figures
        • Classic English Literature
        • American Literature
        • Poetry
        • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
        • Comics & Graphic Novels
        • Fairy Tales & Mythology
        • Historical Fiction
        • Horror
        • Humour
        • Crime Novels
        • Science Fiction
        • Short Stories
        • Romance
        • Thrillers
        • Mystery
        • Fantasy
  • World
        • Africa
          • Egypt
          • Ghana
          • Nigeria
          • Rwanda
          • South Africa
          • Zimbabwe
        • Americas
          • Latin America
            • Argentina
            • Brazil
            • Caribbean
            • Chile
            • Cuba
            • Mexico
          • United States
          • Canada
        • Arctic & Antarctica
        • Asia
          • Afghanistan
          • Bangladesh
          • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
          • China
          • India
          • Japan
          • Kazakhstan
          • Korea
          • Pakistan
          • Sri Lanka
          • Singapore
          • Vietnam
        • Australia
        • Europe
          • Azerbaijan
          • Belgium
          • Britain
          • France
          • Georgia
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Netherlands
          • Norway
          • Russia
          • Spain
          • Ukraine
        • Middle East
          • Iran
          • Iraq
          • Israel
          • Palestine
          • Syria
          • Turkey
          • Yemen
  • Kids
        • Kids Recommend Books for Kids
        • High School Teachers Recommendations
        • Prizewinning Kids' Books
        • Popular Series Books for Kids
        • BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS (ALL AGES)
        • Books for Toddlers and Babies
        • Books for Preschoolers
        • Books for 6-8 Year Olds
        • Books for 9-12 Year Olds
        • Books for Teens and Young Adults
        • THE BEST SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS
        • BEST KIDS' BOOKS OF 2024
        • BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS OF 2024
        • Best Audiobooks for Kids
        • History
        • Economics
        • Environment
        • Mental Health
  • Best Books of 2024
        • Best Books for Teens of 2024
        • Best Kids' Books of 2024
        • Best Novels of 2024
          • Historical Fiction
          • Science Fiction
          • Fantasy
          • Mystery & Crime
          • Romance
        • Best Nonfiction of 2024
          • Travel Writing
  • New Books
    • NEW BOOKS
    • New History Books
    • New Literary Fiction
    • New Historical Fiction
    • New Biography
    • New Memoirs
    • New World Literature
    • New Economics Books
    • New Climate Books
    • New Math Books
    • New Science Books
    • New Philosophy Books
    • New Psychology Books
    • New Physics Books
  • Audiobooks
    • THE BEST AUDIOBOOKS
    • Actors Read Great Books
    • Best Audiobooks for Kids
    • Books Narrated by Their Authors
    • Best Audiobook Thrillers
    • Best History Audiobooks
  • Book Awards
    • Nobel Literature Prize
    • Booker Prize (fiction)
    • Baillie Gifford Prize (nonfiction)
    • Financial Times (nonfiction)
    • Wolfson Prize (history)
    • Royal Society (science)
    • NBCC Awards (biography & memoir)
    • Pushkin House Prize (Russia)
    • Walter Scott Prize (historical fiction)
    • Arthur C Clarke Prize (sci fi)
    • The Hugos (sci fi & fantasy)
    • Audie Awards (audiobooks)
    • Wilbur Smith Prize (adventure)
  • Experts

Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters

Last updated: February 07, 2023

    The best books on Hurricane Katrina, recommended by Gary Rivlin

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - City of Refuge by Tom Piazza

    1

    City of Refuge
    by Tom Piazza

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas Brinkley

    2

    The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
    by Douglas Brinkley

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City by Jed Horne

    3

    Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
    by Jed Horne

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

    4

    Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security
    by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape by Peirce F. Lewis

    5

    New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape
    by Peirce F. Lewis

  • Katrina was not a natural disaster but an engineering one, says the journalist and author. He chooses the best books on Hurricane Katrina, ranging from a novel to a geographical biography of New Orleans.

  • The best books on Hurricane Katrina - City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
  • The best books on Hurricane Katrina - The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas Brinkley
  • The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City by Jed Horne
  • The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block
  • The best books on Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape by Peirce F. Lewis

The best books on Hurricane Katrina, recommended by Gary Rivlin

Katrina was not a natural disaster but an engineering one, says the journalist and author. He chooses the best books on Hurricane Katrina, ranging from a novel to a geographical biography of New Orleans.

The best books on Hurricane Katrina, recommended by Gary Rivlin

    The best books on Technology and Nature, recommended by Daniel Headrick

  • Read
    The best books on Technology and Nature - Medieval Technology and Social Change by Lynn White Jr.

    1

    Medieval Technology and Social Change
    by Lynn White Jr.

  • Read
    The best books on Technology and Nature - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill

    2

    Plagues and Peoples
    by William McNeill

  • Read
    The best books on Technology and Nature - Ecological Imperialism by Alfred Crosby

    3

    Ecological Imperialism
    by Alfred Crosby

  • Read
    The best books on Technology and Nature - Collapse by Jared Diamond

    4

    Collapse
    by Jared Diamond

  • Read
    The best books on Technology and Nature - Something New Under the Sun by John R McNeill

    5

    Something New Under the Sun
    by John R McNeill

  • The historian explains how the power of technology has affected man’s relationship with the rest of nature, and tells us what determines why some civilisations succeed and others fail

  • The best books on Technology and Nature - Medieval Technology and Social Change by Lynn White Jr.
  • The best books on Technology and Nature - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill
  • The best books on Technology and Nature - Ecological Imperialism by Alfred Crosby
  • The best books on Technology and Nature - Collapse by Jared Diamond
  • The best books on Technology and Nature - Something New Under the Sun by John R McNeill

The best books on Technology and Nature, recommended by Daniel Headrick

The historian explains how the power of technology has affected man’s relationship with the rest of nature, and tells us what determines why some civilisations succeed and others fail

The best books on Technology and Nature, recommended by Daniel Headrick

    The best books on Meteorites, recommended by Caroline Smith

  • Read
    The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Robert Hutchison

    1

    Meteorites
    by Robert Hutchison

  • Read
    The best books on Meteorites - Solar System Evolution, A New Perspective by Stuart Ross Taylor

    2

    Solar System Evolution, A New Perspective
    by Stuart Ross Taylor

  • Read
    The best books on Meteorites - Out of the Sky by H H Nininger (out of print)

    3

    Out of the Sky
    by H H Nininger (out of print)

  • Read
    The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Alex Bevan and John de Laeter

    4

    Meteorites
    by Alex Bevan and John de Laeter

  • Read
    The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Caroline Smith & Caroline Smith, Sara Russell and Gretchen Benedix

    5

    Meteorites
    by Caroline Smith & Caroline Smith, Sara Russell and Gretchen Benedix

  • One of the Natural History Museum’s experts in meteoritics, Dr Caroline Smith says the meteorites that land on earth predate our planet by about 150 million years and it’s not surprising that they land here

  • The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Robert Hutchison
  • The best books on Meteorites - Solar System Evolution, A New Perspective by Stuart Ross Taylor
  • The best books on Meteorites - Out of the Sky by H H Nininger (out of print)
  • The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Alex Bevan and John de Laeter
  • The best books on Meteorites - Meteorites by Caroline Smith & Caroline Smith, Sara Russell and Gretchen Benedix

The best books on Meteorites, recommended by Caroline Smith

One of the Natural History Museum’s experts in meteoritics, Dr Caroline Smith says the meteorites that land on earth predate our planet by about 150 million years and it’s not surprising that they land here

The best books on Meteorites, recommended by Caroline Smith

    The best books on Natural Disasters, recommended by Khurshid Alam

  • Read
    The best books on Natural Disasters - At Risk by Ben Wisner, Piers Blaikie & Terry Cannon and Ian Davis

    1

    At Risk
    by Ben Wisner, Piers Blaikie & Terry Cannon and Ian Davis

  • Read
    The best books on Natural Disasters - Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis

    2

    Late Victorian Holocausts
    by Mike Davis

  • Read
    The best books on Natural Disasters - A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester

    3

    A Crack in the Edge of the World
    by Simon Winchester

  • Read
    The best books on Natural Disasters - Building Back Better by Michael Lyons and Theo Schilderman

    4

    Building Back Better
    by Michael Lyons and Theo Schilderman

  • Read
    The best books on Natural Disasters - Know Risk by United Nations

    5

    Know Risk
    by United Nations

  • Disaster reconstruction and climate change expert, Khurshid Alam, talks through five illuminating books on natural disasters and outlines some of the key political issues relating to disaster management.

  • The best books on Natural Disasters - At Risk by Ben Wisner, Piers Blaikie & Terry Cannon and Ian Davis
  • The best books on Natural Disasters - Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis
  • The best books on Natural Disasters - A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester
  • The best books on Natural Disasters - Building Back Better by Michael Lyons and Theo Schilderman
  • The best books on Natural Disasters - Know Risk by United Nations

The best books on Natural Disasters, recommended by Khurshid Alam

Disaster reconstruction and climate change expert, Khurshid Alam, talks through five illuminating books on natural disasters and outlines some of the key political issues relating to disaster management.

The best books on Natural Disasters, recommended by Khurshid Alam

    The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by Simon Winchester

  • Read
    The best books on Volcanoes - Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

    1

    Journey to the Centre of the Earth
    by Jules Verne

  • Read
    The best books on Volcanoes - The Last Days of Pompeii by E Bulwer Lytton

    2

    The Last Days of Pompeii
    by E Bulwer Lytton

  • Read
    The best books on Volcanoes - The Crater by James Fenimore Cooper

    3

    The Crater
    by James Fenimore Cooper

  • Read
    The best books on Volcanoes - The Violins of St Jacques by Patrick Leigh Fermor

    4

    The Violins of St Jacques
    by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • Read
    The best books on Volcanoes - Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

    5

    Twenty-One Balloons
    by William Pène du Bois

  • The respected author and veteran journalist gives illuminating interview on volcanic eruptions. Discusses wonderful literary works from authors including Jules Vernes, Edward Lytton and Paddy Leigh Fermor

  • The best books on Volcanoes - Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
  • The best books on Volcanoes - The Last Days of Pompeii by E Bulwer Lytton
  • The best books on Volcanoes - The Crater by James Fenimore Cooper
  • The best books on Volcanoes - The Violins of St Jacques by Patrick Leigh Fermor
  • The best books on Volcanoes - Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by Simon Winchester

The respected author and veteran journalist gives illuminating interview on volcanic eruptions. Discusses wonderful literary works from authors including Jules Vernes, Edward Lytton and Paddy Leigh Fermor

The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by Simon Winchester

    The best books on Aid Work, recommended by Cassie Knight

  • Read
    The best books on Aid Work - Brazzaville Charms by Cassie Knight

    1

    Brazzaville Charms
    by Cassie Knight

  • Read
    The best books on Aid Work - Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response by The Sphere Project

    2

    Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
    by The Sphere Project

  • Read
    The best books on Aid Work - The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

    3

    The Hungry Tide
    by Amitav Ghosh

  • Read
    The best books on Aid Work - Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding

    4

    Cause Celeb
    by Helen Fielding

  • Read
    The best books on Aid Work - The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer

    5

    The Life You Can Save
    by Peter Singer

  • From 2001 to 2003, Cassie Knight lived and worked in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, managing a humanitarian aid program after the 1999 civil war. Here, she recommends books on aid work, and its realities as well as inspiring books about it.

  • The best books on Aid Work - Brazzaville Charms by Cassie Knight
  • The best books on Aid Work - Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response by The Sphere Project
  • The best books on Aid Work - The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
  • The best books on Aid Work - Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding
  • The best books on Aid Work - The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer

The best books on Aid Work, recommended by Cassie Knight

From 2001 to 2003, Cassie Knight lived and worked in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, managing a humanitarian aid program after the 1999 civil war. Here, she recommends books on aid work, and its realities as well as inspiring books about it.

The best books on Aid Work, recommended by Cassie Knight

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

Newsletter Contact us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Mastodon Social

© Five Books 2025

Get our newsletter