Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "When I said my business was preventing disasters, a woman from Hong Kong asked me, "How can you stop a typhoon?..." (more)
Key Phrases: disaster avoidance program, alternate work site, hazmat events, Crisis Management Team, Simulation Group, United States (more...)

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)

Product Description

Praise for AVOIDING DISASTER

"Avoiding Disaster is comprehensive, accurate, and exceptionally useful. It is written for the corporate manager/executive tasked with developing and/or managing the strategic function the author calls ‘disaster avoidance.’ This book provides the best description I have seen of what should be done, and what skills and knowledge are required to do it. I designed and teach the graduate-level course in Corporate Crisis Management and Business Continuity in the George Washington University’s Crisis, Emergency, and Risk Management degree program. I intend to use John Laye’s book as a text."
–– John R. Harrald, Director, Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management
The George Washington University

"If anyone can teach you how to avoid disaster, it is John Laye. His book, which is aptly titled Avoiding Disaster, is written in a straightforward, easy-to-understand, and yet technically accurate manner. John brings his lifelong hands-on experience to the general corporate environment in the same easygoing way that he teaches a class. The examples and theory are clear and all you have to do is follow the process and you are on your way to minimizing your corporate liability . . . in most cases actually avoiding disaster. I highly recommend this book to business continuity professionals, risk managers, corporate safety and security staff, and executives at every organization that is forward-thinking and needs to survive those crises that are facing our society today."
–– Johnathan Tal, President and CEO, Tal Global Corporation

"John Laye’s Avoiding Disaster: How to Keep Your Business Going When Catastrophe Strikes is an important text that will be found in college classrooms and libraries and on the desks of business continuity professionals. Laye grounds his book with solid business principles while also highlighting how disaster planning can be central to a company’s survival. He combines firsthand and practical knowledge with key regulations and case studies. Both veterans and people new to the field will find his examples and resources beneficial. Although written primarily for the private sector, people in the public sector of disaster management will find his segments on the media and communication, strategic planning, hazard analysis, and many other topics useful and educational. I know this is a book that will be on my reference bookshelf."
–– David M. Neal, PhD, Professor and Associate Director, Institute for Emergency Preparedness
Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama

"Avoiding Disaster is a must-read for everyone who wants to ensure the protection and the continuity of their business."
–– Ian I. Mitroff, Harold Quinton Distinguished Professor of Business Policy
Professor of Journalism, Annenberg School for Communication

"Following September 11, organizations have renewed their interest in building resilience to avoid distress. No one knows what the next catastrophe will be or when it will occur. It is therefore important to take on board the philosophy of ‘being prepared.’ Business Continuity Management (BCM) is an important management discipline that enables organizations to build effective response mechanisms. John Laye’s book provides an excellent grounding in the principles behind BCM and will greatly assist those planning to avoid disasters in the future.

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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: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 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.com Sales Rank: #797,056 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 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

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 "bkildow" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

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 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.