In one sense this volume is a summing up of what we think has been learned so far as to how individuals and social groups respond to extreme events in nature. In another sense it is a point of departure, as it contains tentative conclusions that many of our colleagues believe should be re-examined, and uses methods that cry out for refinement. The author is sensitive to those deficiencies, but he have concluded that a rough synthesis at this time will foster rather than hinder more searching examination of the basic questions.