DEGREES OF DISASTER Author:Jeff Wheelwright In this fascinating account of the ecological effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill on Prince William Sound, Jeff Wheelwright tells the complex story of a region where natural disturbance is normal. While the spill had toxic short-term effects, the author concludes that cleanup efforts probably perpetrated more damage than the oil did. Left... more » alone the Sound would have repaired itself quickly. Throughout the book Wheelwright illuminates the gap between the scientists` measurements of change and the public`s understanding of disaster. The author has written a new afterword for this paperback edition.« less