read for environment & health class

this was an interesting topic and definitely well researched (i recommend an ebook that allows u to click on footnotes and references)
this was very dense so i dont recommend it as a leisurely read rather as smtg to use as reference in a dissertation for ex.

Although this book had some eye-glazing theoretical pages that were no doubt inserted to make a thesis advisor happy, I nevertheless found most of it to be interesting- in particular, the author's focus on who died in the heat wave and why. Heat wave victims were evenly divided between blacks and whites, but were almost all elderly and isolated. Very few young people and Hispanics died.

Seniors in public housing were especially vulnerable. Why? Because in the early 1990s the Chicago public housing agency decided to open up seniors-only public housing complexes to the disabled, and under federal law recovering drug abusers count as disabled. Many of these substance abusers turned out to be not-so-recovering addicts who stole to support their habits, causing crime to skyrocket in these buildings. And because seniors were afraid of losing their possessions, they were afraid to leave their apartments. And because the apartments usually lacked air conditioning (this being Chicago) the seniors were stuck in broiling apartments and died of the heat.

Some low-income black areas tended to have extremely high heat death rates, while low-income Hispanic areas did not. Why? The author focuses on two neighborhoods: North Lawndale (black, lots of death) and nearby Little Village (Mexican-American, very few deaths). In North Lawndale, crime is higher so elderly residents feared to live home. Because the neighborhood had lost most of its population since white flight, there was not much retail within walking distance, so residents had very little positive incentive to leave home. By contrast, Little Village was a growing neighborhood with lots of air-conditioned stores. And although Little Village was hardly crime-free, it was safe enough that people felt safe going to those stores in the daytime. Similarly, African-American areas with relatively stable populations (such as Calumet Heights on the city's far South Side) also had low death rates- perhaps because stable areas have more stores and fewer vacant lots.

The author describes the failures of the city's social service systems as well: social workers tended to minimize contacts with the elderly in neighborhoods like North Lawndale, because they feared violent crime as much as their clients did. Police officers were trained to engage in community policing, but were too overwhelmed by crimefighting to substitute for the social workers.

One bit of good news: the city learned from its mistakes after the 1995 heat wave. During a 1999 heat wave, the city made more efforts to contact and evacuate the isolated elderly. As a result, there were "only" 100 deaths- not ideal but still far below the 700-plus deaths in 1999. On the negative side, after COVID-19 isolation may not be seen as such a bad thing- which means that cities may be less prepared for heat waves in the future.

4.5 stars. This was a fascinating deconstruction of the civic failure of the Chicago heat wave of 1995. It was wild to see how none of the issues of this catastrophe have been solved in 25 years and that covid is a very similar disaster on a much larger scale. I can't wait for Klinenberg's forthcoming book on 2020

An illuminating and approachable account of connecting the sociopolitical dots that led to this somehow forgotten tragedy. Most who do remember the '95 heat wave have a very simple interpretation that the author clearly and convincingly dispels. An important read for Chicagoans, but also residents of American urban centers, consumers of media, and constituents of political tricksters.

This book is as relevant today as when it was first published. Hear waves are more frequent and intense. Social isolation is exacerbated by pandemic precautions, and safety nets are vanishing. This well researched book points to the failures that led to high death tolls during the 1990s in Chicago. The lesson is simple. Love your neighbors, or at least care about them and check in on them. It could mean the difference between surviving extreme heat or dying alone.

a very interesting look into the 1995 heat wave in Chicago in 1995 that killed more than 700. he goes through the social causes for their deaths, including neighborhood characteristics, city response, and media response. most of the folks who died were poor male seniors living alone & isolated lives. the most interesting part for me, besides learning who's most at risk for heat-related deaths & the societal trends that have led more seniors to be living alone & cut off from support systems was the comparison between 2 neighborhoods - one Black, one Latino with similar numbers of seniors at risk but very different casualty rates. many speculated that Latinos are more "family-oriented" or have genetic oe historic protection from living in warm climates, but the author shows that the main characteristics that made a difference are the extreme disinvestment common to urban Black neighborhoods that residents had little say in - vacant lots & buildings, dilapidated streets, tall grass that make it a good neighborhood for drug economies pushed vulnerable seniors inside their homes & away from support networks because of their fear of being caught in the crossfire when shit goes down between dealers. the nearby Latino neighborhood had a thriving street life, with many businesses, street vendors, and families on the street until late in the evening that made seniors feel comfortable leaving their apartments for familiar air-conditioned businesses. definitely an interesting & worthwhile read.

Fascinating and heartbreaking. I moved to Chicago the year after this happened, so most of the story was new to me. I was not aware of the severity or the high number of fatalities. Essential reading for Chicago and urban studies.

That said, it's very much a sociology text and not narrative non-fiction. So it can be very dry and repetitive as the thesis and back-up statements are made at the beginning, then fleshed out a little more in the supporting chapters. You could read the opening and still get a really good grasp of the topic.

Read this book for Disasters in Public Health. It was hard to read this book from the perspective of someone who lived through a heat wave and didn’t consider the public health effects. Now with the perspective of this class, the framework has completely shifted. Extreme heat events are an interest of mine in environmental health and this book offered an interesting view/explanation of the disaster and all the excess deaths. I’d recommend reading up on the Chicago Heat Wave of 1995 but maybe not this book unless you’re highly interested in public/environmental health.

Great great intro to public health/medical anthropology! It really gives perspective on national disasters like Hurricane Kathrina. You can skip some of the middle sections and get a ton out of it still!

An interesting look at the 1995 heat wave that killed hundreds of Chicago residents. The book devotes less time to describing the events that occurred and more to examine the different systems involved.
These include the makeup of neighborhoods that were affected, comparing similar neighborhood with vastly different rates of deaths, to try and understand what factors contributing to the differing toll. He also looks at how the city handled the public relations of the disaster, as well as the how the media portrayed events as they were occurring. These last two chapters are weaker, though in current times, seem even more relevant. At times the author's background as an academic comes through, and not necessarily in a good way, as the information is presented in a less compelling manner. However, the information and content is interesting enough that it more than makes up for any problems with the story-telling itself.

Interesting topic of interest to me because it took place during the first month (of thirteen) I spent living in Chicago (July 1995). Yet despite this, I found Klinenberg's writing bland and tedious. It was probably one of the most disappointing reads for me over the past couple of years.

I assign this to the undergraduates in my public health class, because it does a great job showing how social conditions place people at risk of risks, and how the agencies and institutions that are supposed to protect us break apart in times of stress.

Dear Universe: I would also like a book this compelling about a rural health problem. See what you can do about that, OK?