Book excerpt: Case Studies in Disaster Recovery, the initial release in the Disaster and Emergency Management: Case Studies in Adaptation and Innovation series, explores recovery from a number of perspectives: household, community and nation. Chapters cover the concept of social vulnerability to explain/predict recovery outcomes, consider broader themes of sustainability, assess community vulnerability and capacity, and explore the challenges associated with long-term recovery and disaster case management. Cases explored illustrate the ways in which communities and governments used the window of opportunity after a disaster to make changes that reduce future risk and vulnerability. Included cases illustrate the diversity of change realized in communities following disasters. Presents in-depth cases studies in disaster recovery - a phase of disaster management Unites practice and research from multiple disciplines to highlight the complexity of disasters mitigation, including environmental and earth sciences, engineering, public health, geography, sociology and anthropology Examines policy and ethical dilemmas faced by decision-makers in disaster situations