Customer Reviews

Memphis 7.9

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Sam Penny, a full-time RVer, has combined his experience as a traveler, his background in physics and geology, and his amateur interest in seismology to produce Memphis 7.9, a fictional account of what might happen if an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude were to hit Memphis, Tennessee. It is not a pretty picture!

Sam uses his very ordinary characters, not unlike his readers, to set the stage for the disaster. As a result, when the shaking begins, the reader will be afflicted as well. "Please," I pleaded in my mind with the author, "Don't let anything happen to Chris, even if he is planning to ride it out at the epicenter."

It's all there: the initial rumbling, the jolts, the broken freeway interchanges and bridge supports, buildings collapsing on themselves, fires raging, the Mississippi River breaking through the levees. As a Californian who has experienced her share of earthquakes and still can't drive under a freeway overpass without speeding (just in case . . . ), I appreciate the importance of this book.

Sam states that he wanted to combine his retirement goal of writing fiction with his desire to warn people who have become complacent about the potential dangers. One of his characters-you can almost see this villain twirling the ends of his mustache while the audience is hissing-abuses his government funds for retrofitting freeways and buildings, resulting in unsafe structures. Unfortunately, he is probably not alone. "Can't happen here; this isn't California," seems to be the motto for some place as remote from the West Coast as Memphis, Tennessee. But it can, and Memphis 7.9 paints the scenario in glaring detail.

I highly recommend this book. Sam Penny has created a work of fiction that will spur his readers to action and certainly make them aware of what could happen if they don't prepare for a potential disaster.

Book 1 of the 7.9 Saga, Memphis 7.9 by Sam Penny is an original novel arising from the inevitable prospect a devastating earthquake that strikes the New Madrid Fault Zone, which is located approximately 45 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. The genesis of Memphis 7.9 comes from author Sam Penny's own projections using FEMA numbers to calculate a scenario of the destruction that will ensue when, not if, such a quake erupts. A dramatic and gripping narrative following the lives and deaths of ordinary people blasted by the wrath of the Earth and would be of especially interest to students of geology and the impact of an earthquake phenomena upon contemporary American society, culture, politics, and economics.

Memphis 7.9 should be a wake up call for Middle America. Lying miles under the rich alluvial soil of the Mississippi Delta is the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Two hundred years ago, this fault produced the largest earthquakes the United States has ever seen. Today, this highly populated area includes cities like Memphis, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, and St Louis, Missouri. Centrally located for rail and highway transportation, numerous bridges cross the Mississippi river in this region.

The age and depth of this fault make assessment difficult, but studies seem to indicate that a significant quake could occur every 200 to 300 years. The most recent large earthquake occurred in 1896, but numerous small earthquakes occur almost daily in the region. Thus, preparations for a major event should be part of everyone's life.

Memphis 7.9 is the first book in a "saga" that tells the story of the earthquake from the standpoint of the impact on people, property, and America's economy. Written from the perspective of citizens, seismologists, politicians, and others impacted by the event, author Sam Penny strives to point out the need for preparation, by giving an overview of the potentially devastating societal and economic impact.

Side by side, he provides examples of the results of a lack of preparation, and the results of properly implemented earthquake resistant technology. Concerned citizens, civic leaders, and emergency preparedness workers will find this book to be of value in understanding the risk, and educating the population about potentially life saving preparations.

Found this book as a reasonable price. Am using the book for research on earthquakes so I found it informative. It was great service from the bookseller.

I finished Sam Penny's Memphis 7.9 two days ago, but I'm still somewhat shaken! It is a compelling read not only for the thrill of finding out what happens to the cast of characters in his fictional account, but more importantly for the nonfiction scientific briefing on just how earthquakes work. Penny's description of precisely what happens deep underground in the first microseconds, seconds and minutes of the event are spellbinding. If you want to find out something about temblors and how they can effect people's lives, or even if you think you already know something about earthquakes, this is a great place to begin your specialized education. Highly recommended, and perhaps essential reading for anyone who lives within 200 miles or so of Memphis. California may not be the locus of The Big One.