Extreme Cities: The Peril and Promise of Urban Life in the Age of Climate Change, by Ashley Dawson. London and New York: Verso. 2017. 384 pp.

Abstract

In short, this book fills an important gap in our understanding of how to manage risk in contemporary society. It should be of use to sociologists interested in risk and disasters, owing to Coaffee’s rich engagement with existing sociological theory. Moreover, due to its expansive use of diverse empirical examples, Coaffee’s book should be of interest to scholars and policy professionals working in the areas of climate change adaptation, the stability of financial systems, urban security, and infrastructure. In the midst of a pandemic, it is difficult to think of more important questions than those asking how to deal with complex and uncertain risks in an increasingly interconnected world. In Futureproof, Coaffee suggests resilience-thinking as a potential guide for answering this question.