These chronologically arranged accounts of major world disasters begin with background information followed by a summary of events and analysis of how each event resulted in technological or regulatory changes to prevent or mitigate the effects of similar happenings in the future. The authors are objective about the human causes or reactions to each disaster, and sidebars encourage readers to form their own opinions by comparing opposing viewpoints from primary-source accounts. The set is designed to support the Common Core State Standards, and there are numerous prompts . . . that suggest independent research and writing activities.