Comet Catastrophe!

After a sketchy history of comet research, Sutherland recaps recent earthquakes, hurricanes, aircraft crashes, train wrecks, the spread of AIDS, Philadelphia's Move disaster and other events. However, he is unable to offer genuine evidence of a relationship between comets and catastrophes, limply citing solar wind and electromagnetic disturbances, self-fulfilling prophecy and Jung's theory of synchronicity as possible linkages. With an eight-page section of news photos, the book concludes with ""practical precautions'' for the appearance of Halley's Comet this year. (``I for one shall not be booked into a high-rise hotel in February!'') Like the tail of a comet, Sutherland's speculations are mostly gas. (May)