Search
Search

AIDR's summer reading list 2025

Here’s a glimpse of the AIDR team’s summer reading lists and book piles.

We hope you stay safe, enjoy connecting with friends and family, and find time to relax, reflect, recharge and read.

A title that you recommend to others

  • John- 
    Collective Conviction: The Story of Disaster Action, Pamela Dix and Anne Eyre
    'An inspirational account of how a group of people affected by different disasters in the UK banded together to demand justice and support.'
  • Isabel-
    A river with a city problem: a history of the Brisbane floods, Margaret Cook
    'Excellent look into the relationship between rivers and urban development.'
  • Simone-
    Resilience Thinking: Sustaining ecosystems and People in a Changing World, Brian Walker and David Salt
    'Short and sweet –150 pages with an excellent recommended readings list at the end. Each chapter has a case study example which brings the theory into the practice setting.'
  • Mayeda-
    Children of Katrina, Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek
    ‘Beautiful, confronting, vivid writing.
  • Natalie-
    Any Ordinary Day, Leigh Sales
    'Shifted my whole perspective on how we, as human beings, perceive our own vulnerability and think about fear! Most of you have probably read it but I highly recommend!'
  • Ange-
    One day everyone will have always been against this, Omar El Akkad
    'El Akkad’s experience as a journalist after 9/11 leads him to reflect on "western values", power structures, and the global response to the live-streamed genocide in Gaza.'

 

A title you are hoping to read over summer

  • John- 
    Disaster Risk Reduction, Douglas Paton
    'The last work from a titan of disaster research, drawing together a lifetime of work.'
  • Isabel-
    Handbook for Community Recovery workers (post-disaster) 1988, Rev. John Hill, Helen Hill and Sue Gray
    'Discovered in the AIDR library, curious to see what's the same and what is different about the guidance being given in the context of the Community Recovery Handbook review.'
  • Simone-
    The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein
    'All I know is that it has been highly recommended to me so I can only pass that on.'
  • Mayeda-
    A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster, Rebecca Solnit
    ‘Focuses on five disasters and their social aftermath: the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Halifax Explosion in 1917, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the September 11 attacks, and the effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. Includes various instances of social action and altruism in response to these disasters.’
  • Natalie-
    Show me the bodies: How we let Grenfell Happen
    'About the systemic and institutional failures that 'let' this tragedy happen. Feels close to my heart being from the UK and growing up so close to London.
    When the dust settles, Lucy Easthope
    'Was recommended to me! Is very highly regarded as a 'raw' memoir about humanity in the face of disaster'
  • Ange-
    Understanding and Addressing Disaster Risk: Who Speaks? Who Suffers?, Ben Wisner, Irasema Alcantara-Ayala, JC Gaillard, Ilan Kelman, and Victor Marchezini
    'I’m looking forward to delving into this exploration of root causes of disasters based on “deep-rooted philosophical, ethical, moral and human rights principles” (foreword, pxvi).'

 

One for relaxation/self-care:

  • John- 
    Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees, Roger Deakin
    'The former forestry student in me looks forward to this metaphysical reflection on one of the givers of life.'
  • Isabel-
    The book of roads and kingdoms, Richard Fidler
    'Richard Fidler has such a talent for weaving history and people's personal stories. This book is about those who travelled the medieval world during Islams Golden Age, where Imperial Baghdad was the City of Peace with power that stretched from North Africa to India.'
  • Simone-
    Cher's memoir
    'Because why not.'
  • Mayeda-
    The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, Charlie Mackesy
    ‘"What do you want to be when you grow up?", asked the mole.
    "Kind," said the boy...
    A book for all ages, a book for all times.    ’
    'Written by an ex-doctor (who is now a comedy writer) about his experiences working as a midwife in the NHS. It is very eye-opening account with the perfect balance of humour.'
  • Natalie-
    This is going to hurt: Diaries of a junior doctor
  • Ange-
    How we love, Clementine Ford
    'Because love is at the heart of being human and Clem's voice is always strong and clear.'
  • Oshanna-
    Being human
    'A collection of brilliant and deeply moving poems from around the world, east to west, masters to novices.'