Heat Wave

This book examines the 1995 Chicago heat wave, one of the deadliest in American history, and how it was made worse by social, political, and institutional breakdowns in the city. Through years of research, including interviews and archival work, the author reveals surprising and unsettling forms of social breakdown that contributed to the high fatality rates. This incisive and gripping account highlights the contemporary urban condition and the challenges facing cities worldwide in the face of climate change.