REVIEW

Title: CRISISOLOGY: CHARTING A COURSE THROUGH CRISES
Author: Muhammad Sani Isa
Reviewed by: Dr Ibraheem Dooba
Publisher: Society for Safety & Crisis Management
ISBN: 978-978-935-256-2
Description:

Everyone can write a book but certainly not a monograph. It’s very likely to see academics with many book titles in their names without a single monograph in a whole life time. A monograph is a specialist work of writing on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, usually by a single author with cogent, convincing and compelling facts and figures written mainly for an academic audience. This monograph is centered on Crisisology as an emerging academic discipline which presumably according to the author escaped the attention of earlier thinkers.

In the light of current global crises and the quest for a formidable strategy of effective crisis detection, prevention and management, the author is championing the development of the academic discipline of Crisisology in the Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Monotechnics and research institutions. He felt a new approach to crisis, conflict, emergency and disaster management is urgently needed to take us beyond a purely reactive response to that of creating fresh opportunities for improved tools, strategies and education through the study, teaching and practice of Crisisology.

To underscore his resolve to lead this new intellectual campaign of pace-setting, Muhammad Sani Isa, the National President of the Society for Safety and Crisis Management, an Associate Editor of the Management Journal of Crisisology Today (MJCT) and the Secretary of International Association of Crisisologists (IAC) presents this monograph entitled CRISISOLOGY: CHARTING A COURSE THROUGH CRISES.

After a critical and objective examination, the focus of this monograph is that, political and corporate leaders as well as the academic communities of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education should embrace three major tasks in the 21st century in the light of perpetual vulnerability of students to sundry crises:

Firstly, they should engage in deep thinking about the causes of the increasing occurrence of crises given the new technological, chemical, ecological, biological, political and social risks, including terrorism. The world is in a very complex, blurred and unstable condition. In every domain, there seems to be a complete rupture, total change from the past, whether it is for environment, climate, public health and violence all around the world with immediate, short- and long-term potential consequences.

Secondly, they should focus on the dominant trends which complicate contemporary crisis management tools and strategies. This is because since the dawn of civilisation, most of the mechanisms for crisis, emergency, disaster and conflict managements by the governments, communities and organisations around the world have failed. Others are still failing and should the trend continue unchecked, in no distant time, the fragile peace we have would fail and collapse, leaving us at the mercy of militants, terrorists, warlords as well as ethnic bigots and religious entrepreneurs.

Thirdly, they should embrace the philosophy of Crisisology to liberate mankind from the shackles of crises. Hence, In order to detect, prevent and manage crises effectively and efficiently, it’s imperative to understand its catastrophic potentials. Muhammad Sani Isa believes that Crisisology is a journey into an area of new thinking where we can comprehensively contemplate innovative ways of addressing problems, troubles, issues, and sundry crises in our daily interactions with nature, technology, people and organised groups.

The monograph “Crisisology: Charting A Course through Crises” whose foreword is written by Prof. Armstrong Matiu Adejo, certified and accredited by Prof. Sam Egwu has been structured in eight main parts apart from the introductory sections. Chapter one is titled perspectives on Crisisology. According to the author, “The central theme of Crisisology is that every living human being, regardless of age, race or location is unpredictably vulnerable to different types, factions and fractions of crises. As an emerging academic discipline, it is the scientific study of issues, events or circumstances with the slightest and greatest probability of causing pains, injuries, illnesses, disabilities, deaths, property damage, psycho-social trauma and other undesirable situations. More so, it considers the potential for losses, liabilities, shortages or expenses resulting from interaction between natural or human-induced hazards and vulnerable conditions”. He looked at the circumstances necessitating the development of Crisisology and the organic linkages amongst conflict, emergency and disaster managements.

In chapter two, he presents thirty seven incontrovertible facts about crises such as when our actions and inactions create voluntary or involuntary adverse circumstances for people, institutions or communities victims are created. Chapter three looks at crises as the products of our actions and inactions. People sometimes willfully, deliberately, purposely or maliciously cause crises for personal gains. Or simply put, Crises are conceived, planned, instigated, financed and promoted through youths who have nothing practical to gain from them.

Chapter four is titled classification of crises. The essence of this chapter is that it is important to identify types of crisis to enable us establish metrics to define and determine what scenario constitute a crisis and should consequently trigger the necessary response mechanisms. He analysed crises in terms of types, forms and categories.

In chapter five, he discussed extensively with analytical precision, Crisisology as an academic discipline. He believes that the severe turbulence in our complex and unstable world must be turned around and used as opportunities for the basis of a new academic discipline. Plugged into a world of violent turbulence, individuals, organisations and communities must be led, mobilised and empowered in new terms through the study, teaching and practice of Crisisology. This is because it has the ability to create a more self-assured and assertive population that is secure in their ability to handle crises situations and also to understand triggering factors, patterns and processes of crisis escalation for prevention and management.

Chapter six is titled Becoming A Crisisologist. In categorical terms, should a man know nothing in the 21st century, he should know the fundamentals of crisis detection, prevention and management. A Crisisologist from all intent and purposes engages in constant vulnerability assessment; discouraging conduct that creates fear and anxiety; issues management; humanitarian assistance; building an environment of trust and reforming personal, organisational and societal mindsets towards crisis prevention.

In chapter seven and eight, he looks at the relationship between Crisisology and other Social Sciences and the Challenges of Crisisology. Being a research in motion and at a very embryonic stage, it suffers perceptual, collaborative and funding crises.

Apart from the few topographical errors, methodologically and structurally, it’s a master piece from an uncommon mind. As a challenge thrown up by an unexpected author, Crisisology: Charting A Course through Crises can be recommended for further studies to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for a broader exposition. At the same time, they will find a moral call to improve and learn from this insightful research. Crisisology: Charting A Course through Crises is a strong and perceptive book that is well worth reading and thinking about.