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‘Paradise Built in Hell:’ How Disaster Brings Out the Best in People

In her 2009 book, A Paradise Built in Hell, author Rebecca Solnit describes how in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters — such as the one unfolding in Japan — human beings tend to respond by banding together, not tearing apart.

Learning from the Japanese Example — What Makes a Hero?

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As Japan faces fallout from this week’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunamis, hundreds of workers and soldiers are trying at great personal risk to cool damaged nuclear reactors and prevent further spread of radioactive chemicals. But what drives people to such self-sacrifice?