This text deals with risk and its treatment. Since the last edition of  Principles of Risk  Management and Insurance  appeared, several unprecedented events have occurred that clearly demonstrate the destructive presence of risk in our society. In 2010, one of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history struck poverty-stricken Haiti, causing enormous human suffering, an estimated 316,000 deaths, one million homeless people, and widespread property destruction. In 2011, a deadly earthquake hit Japan that caused a devastating tsunami and a nuclear accident crisis. More than 18,000 people died, thousands more are missing, and estimated property damage may exceed $300 billion. During the same period, the Obama Administration introduced legislation to reform a broken health-care delivery system. Despite formidable opposition by the Republicans, and heated and bitter debate, Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act in March 2010. The new law extends health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured people, provides subsidies to purchase insurance, and prohibits certain abusive practices by insurers.

Finally, in 2012, a deranged gunman randomly killed 12 people and wounded at least 58 others in a theater in Aurora, Colorado. This tragic act again highlights the fact that spree killings are not isolated events, and that the risk of death or injury is markedly present. 

Flash forward to the present. The economy and housing markets are slowly recovering from the second most severe economic downswing in the nation’s history; although declining, unemployment remains at historically high levels; and a dysfunctional Congress remains hopelessly deadlocked because of deeply held ideological beliefs by its  members. The Affordable Care Act remains controversial, and Republicans in Congress are determined to repeal it. The House has already enacted legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. To say that we live in a risky and dangerous world is an enormous understatement. 

The twelfth edition of  Principles of Risk Management and Insurance  discusses these issues and other insurance issues as well. As in previous editions, the text is designed for a beginning undergraduate course in risk management and insurance with no prerequisites. The twelfth edition provides an in-depth treatment of major risk management and insurance topics. Coverage includes a discussion of basic concepts of risk and insurance, introductory and advanced topics in risk management, functional and fi nancial operations of insurers, legal principles, life and health insurance, property and liability insurance, employee benefi ts, and social insurance. In addition, the new Affordable Care Act is discussed in depth. Once again, the twelfth edition places primary emphasis on insurance consumers and blends basic risk management and insurance principles with consumer considerations. With this user-friendly text, students can apply basic concepts immediately to their own personal risk management and insurance programs. 

本文讨论了风险及其处理方法。自上一版《风险管理和保险原则》问世以来，发生了几项史无前例的事件，这些事件清楚地表明了我们社会中存在破坏性风险。2010年，近代史上最毁灭性的地震之一袭击了贫困的海地，造成了巨大的人类痛苦，估计造成31.6万人死亡，100万无家可归的人，财产遭到广泛破坏。 2011年，一场致命的地震袭击了日本，造成了毁灭性的海啸和核事故。超过18,000人死亡，数千人失踪，估计财产损失可能超过3,000亿美元。在同一时期，奥巴马政府制定了立法，以改革破碎的医疗保健提供系统。尽管共和党人强烈反对，经过激烈而激烈的辩论，国会于2010年3月颁布了《平价医疗法案》。新法律将健康保险的覆盖范围扩大到数百万未投保的人群，提供了购买保险的补贴，并禁止保险公司实施某些虐待行为。

最终，在2012年，一名精神错乱的持枪者在科罗拉多州奥罗拉的一家剧院中随机杀死了12人，并炸伤了至少58人。这一悲剧性行为再次凸显了疯狂杀人并非孤立事件，而且明显存在死亡或伤害危险的事实。

回到现在，经济和住房市场正在从美国历史上第二严重的经济下滑中缓慢复苏； 尽管失业率在下降，但仍保持在历史最高水平； 由于国会议员根深蒂固的意识形态信念，功能失调的国会仍然陷于绝望的僵局。 《平价医疗法案》仍存在争议，国会中的共和党人决心废除该法案。 众议院已经颁布法律，废除了《平价医疗法案》。 要说我们生活在一个充满风险和危险的世界中，那就太轻描淡写了。

《风险管理和保险原理》第十二版讨论了这些问题以及其他保险问题。与以前的版本一样，本文是为没有风险前提的风险管理和保险初级本科课程而设计的。第十二版对主要风险管理和保险主题进行了深入讨论。内容包括对风险和保险的基本概念的讨论，风险管理的介绍性和高级主题，保险公司的功能和财务运作，法律原则，人寿和健康保险，财产和责任保险，员工福利以及社会保险。此外，还将对新的《平价医疗法案》进行深入讨论。第十二版再次将重点放在保险消费者身上，并将基本的风险管理和保险原则与消费者考虑因素相结合。使用此用户友好的文本，学生可以立即将基本概念应用于他们自己的个人风险管理和保险计划。