People often learn about various crises leading to catastrophes in nature, in social and economic life, or in living organisms (including humans). The book offers a popular account of the causative mechanisms of critical and catastrophic states in a broad range of natural and cultural systems -- which obey the same laws -- and thus makes the reader aware of the reasons and ways to avoid and mitigate the negative consequences of catastrophic events. The authors apply a single mathematical approach to investigate the revolt of cancer cells that destroy organisms and population outbreaks that...