Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes [Hardcover]

John Laye (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471229156 | ISBN-13: 978-0471229155 | Publication Date: August 16, 2002 | Edition: 1

The best thing you can do for your business is to be ready for anything
When Disaster Strikes offers business leaders the peace of mind of knowing that their business is ready for any contingency, no matter how extreme. This guide is designed to be used as both a preparatory resource for when times are good, and an emergency reference when times are bad. This book gets managers up-to-speed on what they should be prepared to deal with and offers real solutions for putting those business continuity plans in place. From natural and man-made disasters to catastrophic computer hack attacks, When Disaster Strikes is the ultimate weapon for any manager determined to help the business survive no matter what.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…no book can provide everything that you will need but this does give you a number of great ideas and avenues to pursue…”(M2 Best Books, 27 January 2003)

From the Inside Flap

Earthquakes, fires, mainframe crashes, hacker attacks, terrorism . . . Whether you operate in the private sector or the public sector, failure to prepare for disruptive events can cripple your organization when disaster strikes and even endanger its very survival. Avoiding Disaster provides the contingency planning methods managers must have to cope with catastrophes-natural disasters, man-made events, or technological calamities alike.

In these uncertain times, it's especially important that you be ready for whatever comes. In the event of a disaster, managers must engage policy directives that are clear, unequivocal, and directed for maximum beneficial effect. As case studies within the book illustrate, quick, decisive, and well-reasoned management is the single most important ingredient for survival in a crisis. This valuable resource offers expert guidance and thoughtful advice about planning for and dealing with worst-case scenarios, ensuring that your business or organization will survive no matter what happens.

You might think that your organization-especially if you manage a large company-could not be significantly affected by any one event. But often, a disaster spirals out of control to bring down an organization that would have survived if it had been ready. In fact, any organization can be undone by a catastrophe if the proper steps aren't taken in advance. And if everything falls apart, it's managers who'll ultimately pay the price. So in order to protect your organization and your job, you must assess threats, prepare for them, and move quickly when the worst case scenarios start to play.

Whether you manage a Fortune 500 company, a government agency, or a not-for-profit, Avoiding Disaster offers the tips, tools, and techniques you need in times of duress. You'll develop the plans you'll need for any contingency and know which events you should be prepared for, what training your employees need, and which supplies you should have on hand before the event. You'll learn how to limit the damage done to employee, consumer, and stockholder confidence when things go wrong, and know that you can lead effectively when leaders are needed most.

During a crisis, the worst thing a manager can do is not know what to do. You won't have time to debate, but you will have time to act if you're already prepared. With Avoiding Disaster on your bookshelf, you'll find the peace of mind that comes with knowing you're ready for anything.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471229156
• ISBN-13: 978-0471229155
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and Factual, November 12, 2002

By 

Phillip Moore (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes (Hardcover)

As an instructor in the emergency management field, I found this book to be concise and on-target with respect to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters...both public and private. Mr. Laye's ability to convey the reason and methods of preparedness and response is apparently based on experience and in-depth research. Well outlined and a must for any manager concerned with business survival following virtually any disaster.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Must Have" Book on Business Continuity, September 24, 2002

By 

Betty A. Kildow (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes (Hardcover)

As a business continuity consultant and leader of business continuity seminars, I'm always asked to recommend books that would be helpful in the development and implementation of a disaster recovery/business continuity program. John Laye's "Avoiding Disaster" is one I will heartily recommend - whether the reader is new to this arena or a seasoned professional.

Written from a no-nonsense, real-world perspective, this is a book that everyone involved in business continuity should have readily available to use and to pass along to others in their organizations who need to truly understand what business continuity is all about.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Advice, September 25, 2002

By 

Barbara Foster (Sausalito, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes (Hardcover)

This book provides practical advice for developing a business continuity plan in a very readable form. The use of case studies and planning scenarios is particularly helpful in applying the concepts to real life situations.