Of all the books, research and articles recently published on the procedures for reducing seismic risk which have passed tthrough my hands, this is the one which may offer the greatest challenge to not only architects but also other academic and professional researchers interested in reducing seismic risk in urban areas to socially and economically acceptable levels. As the author notes in the final paragraph of the conclusion, the principal aim of this book is to 'help to understand physically, in counterpoint to analytically, the possible effects of earthquakes in cities' and raise the awareness of town planners and all the other professionals involved in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings.