In a series of case studies, Gunter (sociology, U. of New Orleans) and Kroll-Smith (sociology, U, of North Carolina, Greensboro) examine what happens when environments and communities collide and all the baggage of the past comes open. With special emphasis on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, they examine the building of trust in government and its destruction by what locals perceive as betrayal, the problems superimposed by incomplete or erroneous information, perceptions of fair treatment in crisis, social capital as a factor in response, and the complex response to the equally complex relationship between social perceptions and physical realities. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)