“Clarke divides people into probabilists and possibilists. Much modern scientific and governmental policy about disasters, he claims, emerges from probabilistic thinking—‘What’s the likelihood that the nuclear plant will melt down?’—while possibilistic or ‘worst-case thinking,’ asks, ‘What happens if the nuclear plant has a really bad day?’ Clarke asserts that we engage in worst-case thinking as individuals every day. . . . But when risk assessment broadens from individual decision making to societal setting of policy by ‘elites and institutions,’ probabilists rule, and too often stigmatize possibilists as irrational.”

Carlin Romano | Chronicle of Higher Education

“Worst Cases is superb—written in a dry and personable style and filled with riveting examples and empirical surprises. Clarke reveals that the high frequency of catastrophes and our attempts to rationalize them have put them in a category where they no longer shock us. He also demonstrates that these worst cases open a window onto our society and culture because they shed light on our expectations, our valued icons, and our social structure. This is a timely and incredibly relevant book.”

Charles Perrow, author of Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies

"The timing of Worst Cases could not be better. It considers what is on everyone’s mind but has remained, until this point, the elephant in the room. While many books have addressed this worst case or that one, none have confronted the extensiveness of the problem or the accumulation of worst cases, the concerns they have raised, how we think about them, and what should be done. This is an excellent and important book that needs to be widely read."

Diane Vaughan, author of The Challenger Launch Decision

"A brilliantly original piece of work. It highlights the ubiquitous nature of everyday as well as uncommon sources of risk and the unexpected ways in which commonplace risks may create conditions that potentiate the occurrence of worst-case events. . . . This is a very important book that deserves to be widely read by policy makers and laypeople alike."

James A. Moses | PsycCritique (APA)

"The practical need for improvisation at all levels of societal response is unquestionable, particularly for major disasters, and Clarke’s book provides a stimulus for the basic and applied studies that are needed."

American Journal of Sociology

“Clarke’s book… is even more timely in 2021 than it was when first published. Clarke wants ordinary citizens and policymakers to pay more attention to potential catastrophic events: events improbable, but still possible, with consequences so severe that we ignore them at our peril.”

First Things