4 comments about Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy.

1. This is a timely, well researched and thoughtful book about the world we have come to inhabit over the past decade, with a punctuation mark added for September 11. That said, it is not like so many 'quickie books' written to take advantage of recent events. Authors John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt of the RAND Corporation have been among the most thoughtful writers about security and diplomacy in an information age. Their previous works include Cyberwar is Coming, The Advent of Netwar, In Athena's Camp, and Swarming and the Future of Conflict. Their latest work is Networks and Netwars. Here they look inside "the lower-intensity, societal-level counterpart to...the mostly military concept of Cyberwar."

   The editors are joined by Michele Zanini, Sean Edwards, Phil Williams, John Sullivan, Tiffany Danitz, Warren Strobel, Paul de Armond, Dorothy Denning, and Luther Gerlach, and focus on the nature of what has been thought of as an emerging form of conflict and competition. They explore Netwar's "dual nature...composed of conflicts waged, on the one hand, by terrorists, criminals, and ethnonationalist extremists; and by civil-society activists". The essays lock in on an overarching theme. "What distinguishes Netwar as a form of conflict is the networked organizational structure of its practitioners-with many groups actually being leaderless-and the suppleness in their ability to come together quickly in swarming attacks."

   While our attention is focused on Afghan campaign in the news every night, not all Netwar is of the type practiced by Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. The broad range of Netwar is demonstrated in the complementary essays. But for those who are interested in what they have to say about the recent terrorist activities, their insights are exceptional: see their essays "What Next for Networks and Netwars" and the Afterword (September 2001: The Sharpening Fight for the Future).

   The latter essay was added to the book after the attacks on New York and Washington. "Theory has struck home with a vengeance. The United States must now cope with an archetypal Netwar of the worst kind. The same technology (and infrastructure) that aids social activists and those desiring good of all is also available to those with the darkest intentions, bent on destruction and driven by a rage reminiscent of the Middle Ages."
   
   Networks and Netwars is a well written addition to their body of work. Arquilla and Ronfeldt are the internationally recognized experts in this area; together with their contributing essayists, they have written an essential volume to read and discuss as we press forward in the post-911 life of America.




2. 
   Although their references lean toward "the usual suspects" among the beltway bubbas, and none of the authors demonstrate real access to the various hacker groups with deeper insights than any government bureaucrat will ever achieve, this is without question one of the best sets of articles, put together by two people I view as being the most capable in this area of inquiry, and therefore I recommend it very strongly as a starting point.

   As with most publications by RAND it lacks an index, for which I deduct one star. The value of an index does not appear to be appreciated by those who publish these taxpayer-funded collections, and I continually lament the myopia that prevents the publishers from making such a useful collection even more valuable by taking the time to create an aggregate index.

   I hope this is the last of the theoretical volumes. While it has some operationally-oriented contributions, one of the best being by Phil Williams on Transnational Criminal Networks, it is too theoretical overall, and much too US-centric. There are French, Nordic, and Singaporean, and Australian authorities, to mention just a few, that the editors must now make an effort to bring into a larger dialog. At the same time, it is now vital that we get on with much deeper study and discussion of the actual networks and specific practices--we must do much more in documenting the "order of battle" for netwar. One article, for example, lists a sample of Arabic web sites but goes no further--I would have liked to see some discussion of the 396 terrorist, insurgent, and opposition web sites, including the "Muslim Hackers" who asked for a clerical ruling on whether the Koran encouraged hacking as a means of war (it does, according to the same people that support bin Laden's views), and I would like to see much more integration with the investigative efforts of both law enforcement authorities and private sector security and fraud authorities. I am especially disappointed that all of these authorities appear to be largely oblivious to or at least not making substantive reference to the ten-year-long track record compiled by Winn Schartau and his InfoWarCon speakers and web site, an event that is arguably the only serious international venue for addressing these issues in a serious manner, with a commensurately valuable web site.

   There is one other major gap in this book's approach to networks and netwars. With the exception of Paul de Armond's article on netwar against the World Trade Organization, there are no references to intelligence failures and intelligence requirements vis a vis this threat domain. The editors and authors need to establish intelligence concepts and doctrine for this threat.

   This book represents the very best that DoD money can fund in isolation, and therein lies the problem. What few taxpayer funds are spent by DoD in addressing such important matters and not being spent wisely because there is no serious commitment to creating a data warehouse of all studies related to networks and netwar; there is no commitment to accessing and understanding the considerable lessons learned outside the somewhat nepotistic DoD network of standard experts; and there seems to be no commitment to creating a center of excellence that can nurture *public* understanding and new *public* standards for protecting both our critical infrastructure and the vital data that circulates on that infrastructure.

   The editors and the authors are of the very highest caliber. They are also operating in a vacuum. I for one would like to see them get serious funding, to include the establishment of a public international center of excellence on netwar, with branch offices in London and Singapore.

   We are losing the Third World War, between governments and gangs, in part because the military-industrial-congressional complex continues to define security in terms of very expensive mobility and weapons systems--communications, computing, and intelligence are an afterthought, and the authors are quite correct in the aggregate when they suggest that we are our own worst enemy in failing to redirect substantial funds toward cyber-war and cyber-peace. The editors and authors could be very helpful if they address in their next volume, both an intelligence order of battle against which capabilities might be created; and specific proposals for establishing international, national, and state & local capabilities. What should they be, what will it cost, who should manage them? "It ain't real until its the budget." The authors are gracious to a fault, but it is clear from their work in the aggregate that they share a concern with our lack of preparedness for a 9-11 level of effort against our financial, transportation, power, and communications networks. They merit the greatest of respect and a full hearing from the public.




3. This is the best 'network theory' book I've read. The book is a collection, and the 'field work' is more enthusiastic than thought provoking. Binding together the fieldwork, at front and back, is the analysis of Arquilla and Ronfeldt. Though only 20% of the text, their comments make the reading exceptionally rewarding.

   The deep dynamic guiding Arquilla and Ronfeldt's analysis is that the information revolution favors the rise of network forms of organization and thus redefines cooperation and conflict. According to their terminology, the really bad side is 'cyberwar', an earlier book. 'Netwar' is a more ambiguous form of network conflict, one that can be used by social activists for the benefit of all. While I find their scholarship excellent, I'm less than sanguine regarding our ability to distinguish enthusiasm from cohersion.

   The term netwar calls attention to the prospect of network-based conflict becoming pervasive at all levels of social interaction. Just as romance is now streamlined by online match-makers, so too will the new technologies enhance and focus aggression, both the good and bad kind. According to the authors, 'Netwar' is a form of 'just warfare.' Most of the book covers examples of non-violent, democratic netwar-warriors.There is a brief review of traditional crime going online for drug distribution efficiencies, but most is devoted to friendly political activists ranging from Zapatistas to anti-globalists.

   Fortunately, the authors forget their preoccupation with Zapatistas when trying to make sense of the field work. In particular, they focus on the remarkably vague notions we attach to the term 'networks'. It seems everyone knows what it means, but no one has the same concept in mind.

   Wisely, the authors point out our need to define 'network organization' itself. To this end, they offer a very thoughtful survey of network organization theory. Avoiding easy answers, they list some provocative, but contradictory theories. The reader is left to piece together their own conclusions

   They provide 3 perspectives: 1) 'actor and link,' 2) 'methodological' and 3) 'Naturalist'. In more familiar domains, there are the perspectives of the physicist, sociologist and botanist.

   Probably most of the literature defines networks in terms of 'actors' (nodes) and 'links' (ties) whose relationships have a patterned structure. Using this scheme, one can draw a set of basic shapes for networks: chain or line networks, hub/star/wheel networks, all channel and hybrid networks.

   An alternative 'actor' framework is the notion of 'friendship cliques' and 'interlocking memberships.' This suggests the notion of networks of networks. One 'actor' can belong to a variety of 'cliques', thus interlocking a variety of networks. One's personal power relates to their network assets, not personal attributes. In this case, the 'unit of analysis' is not the individual 'actor', but the network as a distinct identity. The network functions to create opportunities for both it's members and for it's 'network self. '

   Another 'actor' framework stresses the importance of specific 'actor' roles. In this view, small group dynamics rely on a natural self-organization process that sorts out specific roles, and creates roles for outsiders to play. Here the focus is on the tight/loose connectedness of individuals to their network and the network to other networks. In this scheme, degrees of reciprocity characterize exchanges between parties (both individual and group). This 'flow' between actors is colored by the roles each accepts and the diversity is great. Equality is only one of many ways to order relationships.

   An entirely different focus is upon measurement of 'network' units. One measure is the individual's recognition of the network as an entity. For example, network analysts might ask whether the actors recognize that they are participating in a particular network, and whether they are committed to operating as a network. 'Who do you work for?' represents the archetypical question/issue. An even deeper issue is the notion of 'self' and the ability of a 'network' to allow 'selfhood' to emerge. Though somewhat distant from mainstream terminology, almost everyone will understand the notion that organizations have a 'mind of their own' and that it implies the network has a 'selfhood' it will strive to protect.

   Finally, the authors include the 'naturalist' view of Fukuyama that networks are nothing new, that networks are nothing more than 'trust' communities. Trust communities are nothing new. Along the same lines are 'small world' network theories, a body of thought that suggests networks and 'life' itself are inextricably woven together.

   While the networking form of social organization has existed in other times and spaces, the new information technology paradigm provides the material basis for its pervasive expansion throughout a global social domain. Along these lines, they quote Keck and Sikkink's notion that networks are defined as "forms of organization characterized by voluntary, reciprocal, and horizontal patterns of communication and exchange. This seems addressed at one of the most universally recognized phenomena of networks, resiliency to shock unless a key hub (if there is one) is taken down. This interest in survival is a key part of the naturalist perspective.

   In what I find the most illuminating discussion, the authors encompass the wide diversity in network theory by suggesting a multi-level theory of organization to account for network dynamics and resilience. In their scheme, there are 5 levels;
   1. organizational design.
   2. the narrative story about the network's genesis and powers.
   3. The doctrinal habits used for producing desired outcomes, initiating newcomers and developing seniority.
   4. Technological tools
   5. Personal ties of loyalty and trust.

   Personally, I suspect networks, like the Internet, evolve without a plan. They emerge and persist in spite of their plans and desires of those that give them concrete reality. Thus, I somewhat disagree with the 'title' of level #1, if not the concept.

   Their focus on level #2, the network's organizational story, is probably the most original and insightful. Though the authors seem hopeful that 'netwar' has a bright side, consider how the 'bright side' is entirely defined by the organizational narrative. How is the network's bright side described in a Wahabi madrasas? Behind the walls of the Vatican?




4. There is a wide variance between the 11 contributing authors.

   Some of them give stimulating eye witness accounts of events in Seattle, or detailed case studies of criminal activities from around the globe.

   Then we get others who just give you their opinion on an issue, expressed so academically that with one of them I was desperately looking for any indication of form of who / what / where / when that might have contributed to the development of their ideas.

   So for those who cited the evidence - 4 or even 5 stars - but for those who gave rather sterile theoretical opinions - 2 stars.

   And what a shame there was no Index.

No comments about The New York Times: A Nation Challenged, Young Reader's Edition.

5 comments about Into the Night (Troubleshooters, Book 5).

1. Book 5 in the series. And hmmm...I didn't particularly dislike this story, but I didn't exactly love it either. It was just sort of the next story in the series, containing needed details for book 6 to make sense.
   
   In this one there is SEAL Mike Muldoon, and Joan DaCosta, a White House PR rep. SEAL Team Sixteen is to receive an award for the president so he is coming to the base they train out of, and since it is an election year, the White House wants to do it in public along with having the SEALs do a demonstration. Joan is the White House liason and Mike is the SEAL one. None of the SEALs are happy about the whole thing, some of them have a bad feeling that there will be a terrorist strike, but the White House won't call it off.
   
   There is more of the Sam/Alyssa dynamic in this book, but thrown in Max Bhagat, FBI head of the counterterrorism group, to the mix. I love all three of those characters, so I enjoyed reading about them. Also part of the book is Mary Lou, who is in an unhappy marriage with Sam, and Ibraham Raham, the gardner in the neighborhood Sam and Mary Lou live in.
   
   I think part of the problem with this story was that there were a number of characters that I didn't really like. Mary Lou is annoying as hell. I really could have done without, but unfortunately, she was entirely necessary to the plot. Joan really ticked me off at times. She was very patronizing and judgmental. Mike was kinda cool, but I've liked the other SEALs better. The storyline itself was fairly interesting, so that was good.
   
   The historical section was subpar, in my opinion. It involved Joan's grandparents and how the met and got married. It just didn't have the meat of the other historical parts in the other books.
   
   On a whole, it wasn't a bad book, just nowhere near as captivating as the others.
   
   Rating: 3 / 5



2. I love Suzanne Brockmann and her SEAL Troubleshooters. This is yet another thrill-filled sexy and steamy encounter that you won't be able to put down. But even better than the thrills her books give is the fact that they are incredibly well-written. She develops her characters masterfully and consequently keeps you coming back for more, I highly recommend this installment and all the others!!!!



3. I've read all the Brockmann Navy Seal books and "Into the Night" was one of my two favorites. I found the plot interesting (and if you're just reading it, the plot is VERY important to later books) and I loved the relationship between Joan and Mike - no histrionics, just a couple of people working their way together with humor and real emotions. The WW2 portion is touching and very relavant as well, as we see a glimpse of the creation of what was to become the Navy Seal teams.
   I'd very much recommend you read this book - I think it is one of Ms. Brockmann's most thoughtful.



4. Before last week I had never picked up one of the Troubleshooter books by Suzanne Brockmann but I am hooked now. I read the third book in the series and am now working my way through the rest. I loved Mike and Joan's story and I read this book in one sitting. Couldn't put it down!!



5. Into the Night by Suzanne Brockmann, like all her books is a good read. When I see her name on a binding I buy the book knowing I won't be disappointed. Her stories carry you into the world of Navy Seals. Her style makes you feel you are right there with them and the reappearing characters who are trying to keep the world safe while sorting out their personal lives.
   This novel has several stories entwined as characters from older stories mix with new ones. The love story of Charlie, DeCosta's grandmother is woven around her own and there are many similarities, both are afraid of love, but the addition of Mary Lou's wanting only to be loved, regardless of the costs, gives the tale interesting contrasts. The men in this saga are all appealing, brave and stubborn. Muldoon and Vincent are patient and persistent in the pursuit of the women they love. Sam Starrett avoids his wife and home life with the same stubborn tenacity, knowing he's made a big mistake but refusing to admit defeat. Meanwhile the bad guys are setting up to kill the president. Like all good mysteries you don't really know who the bad guy is until the very end.
   Brockmann creates the real life feel to her work by adding in characters who are different from the norm. It is not what they are, but who they are that makes them worth knowing. Brockmann's stories often have misfits and shows them fitting in with the strong, handsome, normal guys who deep inside are misfits too. In life everybody's a misfit, it is finding people and situations that fit us as individuals that brings us happiness. Jules, the gay FBI guy is in this story and is one of my favorites, not because he's gay, but because he's interesting and so is his fictional life. In this story Donny the neighbor has serious mental health issues and showing the other characters dealing with him brings home the fact that mental patients have friends and families that love them because they are worth loving.
   I have read a great deal of Brockmann's work and watched as over the years as her stories have drifted away from formula romance towards international thriller. Because the author's still evolving, each new work has a freshness to it that adds another layer of complexity to the experience of reading a Suzanne Brockmann novel.

4 comments about Genocide in Rwanda: A Collective Memory.

1. This interesting historic document allows the often ignored voice of the Rwandan people to be heard. Witness testimony is horrifyingly poignant when the victim is made known so clearly to the reader. It is as if I could see their faces and feel their fears. I have read many reference works on the genocide in Rwanda but none so accurately put me in the shoes of the victims. The killers are also represented, as are the international community and their failures, the actions of the church, the former government, the current government and members of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. This book really made me feel for the writers, the Rwandans themselves who have suffered so much through the failings of the international community.



2. For anyone with an already-primed interest in the terrible events of 1994 in Rwanda, this book is tremendously valuable.

   It seeks to filter as little as possible the views of Rwandans. There are, in this book, some deeply disturbing survivor's accounts of the genocide, transcribed, unvarnished, from their own testimony. It is all the more powerful for the directness of its expression.

   Most valuable to me was the material explaining the colonial origins of the division between Tutsis and Hutus. It is extraordinary to me that when Rwanda and Burundi were "assigned" to Germany in the 1880s, no European had even set foot in those lands. When they came, their pursuit of control caused divisions where previously - on this evidence - none had existed. Blame for the genocide must be seated in the Belgian colonial rulers in general (they took over after 1916), and the missionary churches in particular. This book explains why.

   Rwanda, more than any other event since WW2, makes us consider the question put eloquently here by one of the witnesses: what is humanity? Who is included? Who is left out? For the world not to have acted effectively to have prevented the Rwandan cataclysm stands to its shame. Kofi Annan has admitted as much, but the real fault lies with everyone and we should all be ashamed.

   The compilers of this book have acted bravely in including an apologia from the authors of the genocide. We hear their voices. We must be sickened by them. We must acknowledge that we were warned; the voices existed long before the worst of the genocide began.

   Knowing what we know about the world, would we prevent it next time? Be honest now; would we?




3. This is the story of the genocide in Rwanda in all its power and horror expressed by the people who experienced it - Rwandans themselves. Therefore, it is the most important of all of the books on the subject. The others are also important and some may be more eloquent as literature, but none match Genocide in Rwanda for sheer unvarnished and unfiltered honesty and integrity. The book also provides an invaluable chronology of Rwanda that illuminates a vital perspective on the political and tribal conditions that precipitated the killing.



4. Definitely intriguing and disturbing how humanity can be so cruel and evil to fellow humans. "Genocide in Rwanda" offers multiple views on the genocide from different people, not just the authors. The book is an excellent place to start if you are have not learnt much about Rwanda. You watch the genocide through various lenses and angles. Rwanda (and every other country in the world) should realize that only it has the power to change itself for the better or worse. Ultimately, they (Hutus and Tutsis) should take responsibiltty for what they did to themselves and to their own country.
   
   The origins of the genocide in Rwanda started on the day the Germans colonized the country. The Belgians further polarized the once unified country into Hutu, Tutsi (and Twa). From then on the whole country was on a down-hill spiral. The culture of impunity set in, and the country was never able to recover. One thing let to the other...then BOOM, April 1994 came. UNAMIR was never meant to be their salvation. Neither was the "international community" - which heartily ignored the genocide. The Somalia situation is often used as an easy excuse as to why the world did not intervene...which is quite ridiculous. How does this same "international community" explain why the genocide in Sudan today has been ignored for decades? This should teach individual countries to resolve their own problems and to frown on external/foreign reliance.

5 comments about A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth.

1. Stephen Gibson has created a compelling novel that wraps a compelling and believable fictional story around a frank discussion of religion, ethics, and perception of truth.
   
   If you are open minded and interested in seeing things from a different point of view, but get tired of non-fiction books that push you relentlessly towards a conclusion while ignoring any contrary ideas or thoughts, then you will find this book to be a refreshing approach.
   
   I throughly enjoyed both the fictional story and the discussions that it wraps around. I highly recommend the book for anyone who feels like they have something to gain from open minded examination of how people perceive truth or why they believe what they do.



2. Its been weeks since I finished this novel. Been listening to the discussions from the authors podcasts for months before finally sitting down and reading this work. I haven't wanted to review the book until I had some time to think about if I liked it or not. I'm still not sure. The people and relationships do not seem genuine, at least I don't know people like that. I didn't bond with the characters like I wanted to. The long discussions were permissible as I understand the author really wanted to include the religious questions the book was really designed for. But they just seem so contrived and unlikely, I never discuss these kind of questions with my Christian friends. They are so not on the same page that we could never discuss calmly and with such education as these characters do again and again.
   
   I hated knowing what would be happening in the later chapters, all was given away in the first 15 pages of the book. Let events occur naturally, maybe already knowing that one main character would be cheating (right or wrong) on his wife made it impossible for me to ever like him.
   
   The arguments are well reasoned, the Secret was kinda impossible even after all the years they put into it.
   
   I will admit that I did cry several times when the parents die, but not when anyone else dies. You would think that the last few deaths would grab me more but I just didn't feel "it" towards them.
   
   So the jury is still out, maybe for others who are questioning their faith, this would help the sort out their feelings. The well reasoned arguments are helpful to both sides of the issues. I sure did learn a lot about pilots from this book.



3. This book is exactly what I have needed. My mind has been going crazy trying to read as much non fiction as possible. I do not normally read fiction, but this book was a welcome break from my usual reading. It is not a true story, but the ideas, and expressions of the characters as they try to discover truth are great. I have to rate this book as one of my favorites, and I feel it does a beautiful job stating opinions about truth that so many of us have. The story itself is filled with so much information that you can spend years researchig much of what the main character speaks about. The way truth is depicted throughout this fictional story, and the way so much real research went into it, had me finishing the decent sized book in less than a week. The author is great at articulating the feelings of those that follow honest inquiry, wherever it may lead. I was happy, mad, sad, and loved every bit of it. I hope to eventually buy copies for many family members and friends,and I recommend it to all.



4. I'm a little bit mystified by the heaping praise given by the reviewers here. I was fully expecting it to be lambasted by the religiously persuaded and shrugged off by the true skeptics as pure pedestrian drivel; I suppose you could count me in the latter category.
   
   I will confess I am sympathetic to Mr. Gibson's epistemological position, however, the mixture of pop philosophy and painful prose were at times excruciating (channeling Ayn Rand?). Much of the dialog sounds as if it were written by a grade school grammar teacher - very dry and almost 'Leave-it-to-Beaver-ish'. I can't imagine anyone outside of a 1950s sitcom engaging in dialog like that.
   
   It's not all bad. I'm not sure if Mr. Gibson is a pilot, but his descriptions of piloting small commercial aircraft were interesting and he seems to have done his homework regarding Christian apologetics and criticism. This book might be a good introduction to the subject for those Christians with at least a smidgen of an open mind, but in the end I'm afraid Mr. Gibson is not a good fiction writer.
   
   I would recommend many, many other non-fiction books on the subject before I would think of this one. Harris, Dawkins, Dennet and Hitchens(all referenced in this book) do a much, much better job. Although they do tend to be a bit more harsh on the religiously inclined. Gibson tries to top off the book with a warm fuzzy which is what most people want I guess; otherwise why would we need religion?



5. As I read A SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE I repeatedly saw parallels to my own journey from religious faith to religious skepticism. Others may read the book and recognize their journey to a deeper faith through a dark wood of doubt. Throughout the book I found myself identifying strongly with characters who voiced views that I agree with. A few pages later I would find myself empathizing with another character whose views and beliefs are at odds with my own, as the character struggled with an ethical dilemma or personal tragedy. The characters experience a full range of the joys and sorrows life offers. Their experiences impact with their most deeply held convictions and they are changed in ways they never imagined possible.
   
   The author, Stephen Gibson admits he is a reforming emotion driven thinker. His book TRUTH-DRIVEN THINKING: AN EXAMINATION OF HUMAN EMOTION AND ITS IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE and his podcasts encourage readers and listeners to seek truth, elusive and complex though it may be; through dialogue, discourse, and inquiry. It would be wrong for readers to assume from these statements that their emotions will not be engaged while reading A SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE. It is not a dry and dispassionate story. Gibson recognizes the power of emotions in creating and sustaining relationships between people as well as commitment to a cause higher than one's own self. His own passion for the pursuit of truth is clearly evident in his writing. I recommend A SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE to theists and atheists alike.

4 comments about How to Build a Nuclear Bomb: And Other Weapons of Mass Destruction (Nation Books).

1. I have read quite a lot on this subject so I almost did not buy it because I thought from a quickscan that I knew almost all this stuff and it would be too simple.

   However I certainly learnt much from it. If you are looking for a good book to state the current world situation this book will do the trick in a quite readable form.




2. A reference book which does not delve into the exhausting details of the WMD technology but presents in a clear and easy to read text all the essential information. Of course the title is somehow misleading, as the book is not a manual for nuclear bomb producers. The strong point of the book is that it is not necessary for someone to have a PhD in Physics, Bilogy or Chemistry in order to understand the working principles of WMD.



3. The book had some erroneous figures causing me to scrutinize the entirety of the information it contained. On top of this I felt it was poorly written with no closing to wrap up, typos, and instead of using a single form of currency when describing worth, Barnaby used several (e.g. Australian, the Euro, USD, Pounds, etc.) and I didn't like consulting a currency converter to make the numbers mean something to me. Overall, it was an informative but scatterbrained and, in my opinion, a useless book he wrote over the weekend to get some extra cash.
   
   By the way: who advertises with a review from the "financial times"? Give me a break.



4. Only a twisted prankster or a deluded madperson would publish a book on how to build a nuclear weapon. The author of this book however does not fit any of these two categories, and despite the title of this book, he has written a book that covers the issues and horrifying prospects behind chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The title therefore is somewhat misleading, and one should not expect to find detailed explanations on how to construct a nuclear bomb. Even a terrorist group who was interested or had the knowledge on how to do this would not share this knowledge, preferring instead to keep it to itself.
   
   The book was first targeted to a British audience, but in this new edition one finds a new preface that is directed to readers in the United States. This preface was written after the immoral and illegal invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003. and the author makes a clear and skeptical allusion to the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He is concerned with any kind of nuclear development in places like North Korea and Iran, and gives some evidence and insight into the status of their nuclear programs.
   
   In any case the author's purpose in writing the book is in his words to "contribute to informed debate" by giving some details on how weapons of mass destruction can be developed and then used. If the actual building of a nuclear bomb is very difficult, even with weapons grade material available, then perhaps the goal of anti-terrorist planning should be more in the area of chemical and biological weapons, and in strict monitoring of the location of nuclear weapons that are already built. A terrorist group interested in using nuclear weapons in their attacks on civilian populations would find it easier to steal a nuclear weapon than to develop, or perhaps purchase one from a "rogue" state that is sympathetic with their grievances.
   
   The author does not give a general definition of what he considers "terrorism" to be, but a good definition that encapsulates the intent of terrorists would be:
   
   "Terrorism is the deliberate act of killing civilians for the purpose of bringing about a particular end or goal, political or otherwise".
   
   The key part of this definition is in the real intent of killing civilians, rather than them being merely inadvertently killed when in the way of a military target. Thus the attacks on the World Trade Center were clearly terrorism, while the attack on the Pentagon was not, since the latter targeted a military installation. Palestinian suicide attacks against Israeli citizens are also acts of terrorism, as was the purposeful killing of Palestinians when their country was taken over by Zionist forces in 1949. The firebombing of Tokyo and Dresden by the Allies in World War II was also clearly a terrorist act and the nuclear attacks by the United States against Hiroshima and Nagasaki were without doubt acts of terrorism if one accepts the above definition.
   
   Thus individuals from many walks of life and political ideologies practice terrorism, both with primitive weapons and more sophisticated and deadly ones. Although the author does not state it explicitly, to date only the government of the United States has practiced nuclear terrorism, but the author asks the reader to consider whether the threat of nuclear terrorism by other groups or "rogue states" is a real one or one that has been exaggerated. To inflate the threat of terrorism to bring about a particular end or goal, political or otherwise, is a dastardly act, but the possibility of this occurring must be considered alongside the real threat of terrorism. We must be able to distinguish a real threat from an exaggerated one, in order to stay focused on genuine dangers and not those that are hyped up by a particular political party or governmental agenc (a good example being the current regime in Washington).
   
   This is another good reason for reading this book, because it allows a more objective assessment of the effects of weapons of mass destruction, the degree of difficulty in their development, and the likelihood of their use by groups or countries. The author is skeptical of the chances of ridding the world of nuclear weapons, given the ability of countries that have them to obtain "dominant positions" in their regions. Most importantly, he addresses the ability of democratic societies to counter international terrorism without becoming an authoritarian regime in the process. He quotes a study that indicates that the likelihood of finding a terrorist group in a democratic society is 3.5 times the likelihood of finding one in an authoritarian regime. He does not elaborate on how these odds were calculated unfortunately.
   
   Anyone with a strong physics background has no doubt amused herself or himself at one time or another on just how they would build a nuclear bomb, if they were not currently working in nuclear weapons projects. It is natural to have such a curiosity, and this reviewer has been involved in many such conversations over lunch or in front of campfires. Without divulging classified knowledge, the author gives a brief overview of the physics and technology behind nuclear weapons in the book. The physicist reader will definitely find this part of the book interesting, even though the physics is kept at a very low level, in order to allow the book to appeal to a wider audience.

5 comments about Fuse of Armageddon.

1. Originally published on my blog at hewhocutsdown.blogspot.com.
   
   Recently my wife & I sat down & had lunch with a much more experienced writer and author, Sigmund Brouwer. He & I are working together on a project that is yet to be released, but he gave me a gift in his latest work, entitled Fuse of Armageddon.
   
   It's a strange animal.
   
   In writing style, the pace matches some of Clancy's novels (most notably Rainbow Six), constantly accelerating toward the climax. This works both for and against the novel, as I finished it in two sittings (would have been one had I a longer flight), but there is only a much abbreviated dénouement to close it, where a few more pages would have been warranted.
   
   Thematically it takes aim at a very specific target market: open-minded, evangelical Christians who read thrillers such as the ridiculously popular Left Behind series. In all truth it is very open all, with vividly detailed locales and arguments that lay the foundation before building upon them, but this does not discount it's primary role. Fuse is really meant to expand evangelical Christians' thinking to really look at the consequences of a dispensational eschatology hell-bent on pre-millenialism. If you didn't understand that last sentence, don't worry about it; I didn't mean you.
   
   The sarcastic comments of Khaled Safady probably capture this irony the best. In listening in to a Christian group touring the Holy Land, he juts in (paraphrased):
   
   
   "In miles, how long is that river of blood?" (referring to the predicted river of blood from God's 'winepress of wrath')
   
   "Roughly two hundred miles, twenty-five feet wide and four and a half feet deep."
   
   "Incredible. How many people would this require?"
   
   "Two hundred million."
   
   "But I'm a physician. I've seen horrible accidents. I've seen people die. Any wound with enough blood loss to lead to death stops the heart long before the heart can pump itself dry. How will Christ squeeze the remaining blood from two hundred million bodies?"
   
   "Revelation tells us there is a great winepress and that the blood came from the winepress."
   
   "Incredible. All two hundred million bodies get fed through a winepress to be squeezed of their blood? How long would that take? Even at the rate of one body per second, that would only be 60 bodies per minute, 3600 bodies per hour, and from what I've calculated just now...maybe 80,000 per day. Make it 100,000 for even math."
   
   "I find this macabre..."
   
   "But earlier I heard a chorus of amens and hallelujahs...joy as you had us contemplate the deaths of liberals and gays, Arabs and Muslims who are left behind. I find that equally macabre"
   
   "The unjust will pay the price"
   
   "So you're telling me Jesus will return and spend his first 5 and a half years squeezing out the blood of his enemies?"
   
   
   If you're going to read Revelation and other biblical prophesy as literal events, fine. But accept the consequences of that interpretation, as grotesque and horrific as they may be. Or take a step back and seriously re-evaluate what brought you those beliefs.
   
   I know that I have gotten truly enraged; something that has happened only 3 times since leaving home; listening to a tele-evangelist giving Israel carte blanche for genocidal warfare. I in no way believe in supporting terrorism, and that includes the terrorism of nation-states.
   
   This book is not a theological breakdown, nor is it a political seminar or a primer on Mid-East policy. What it is, is a thriller that leaves you with the question: do my beliefs add or detract to the problems at hand? Is that because of me, or because of the belief?
   
   And that is what makes this such a wonderful book. It's a step back from my usual bookshelf (I prefer source works, history and Dostoevsky) but for a general audience, this is a voice that needs to be heard, a novel that needs to be read, and more than just read. It requires action, and like the Jonathan Silver in the novel, making the jump from theory to action can be a frightening one, but it can make a world of difference.
   
   Peace



2. Fuse of Armageddon is a novel to be enjoyed on two levels. On one level, it is a solid piece of Christian fiction. Sigmund Brouwer is a clever story teller who rises to the task of authoring a thriller tailored to a modern Christian audience. The plot's strength is its subtlety; the heroes are not gloriously converted or the perfect blend of holiness and worldly wisdom. They are fallible and at times their faith seems ambiguous. Even the villians have a point. Although Brouwer is clever writer who has done his homework, at times the plot lines seemed a bit rushed and the dialogue stiff and awkward.
   
   On the second level, the novel is essentially a trojan horse for Hanegraaf's theological position on the end times, which runs counter to the doctrines held by millions of evangelical Christians. Through the fictional characters, Hanegraaf is able to carefully pinpoint and apply pressure on some weak points of popular end times theology. For example, querying why there would be the need for restored Jewish sacrifices in the light of Christ's atonement does indeed give one pause. That it comes from a Islamic terrorist is a delicious irony.
   
   One flaw is the thinly veiled contempt for those who hold the contrary view, and that comes out in the book. Evidently to Hanegraaf, the millions of believers who hold to "Rapture theology" have basically been duped by slick talking TV preachers, and are stuck in an intellectual rut of not being able to think through difficult theological concepts. Maybe they need to listen to the Bible Answer Man broadcast more.
   
   To his credit though, Hanegraaf doesn't waste a lot time splitting doctrinal hairs, but emphasizes the disastrous impact of years of western Christian neglect toward the Palestinians and the geopolitical events in the Middle East. On this point, Hanegraaf's moral logic is unassailable.
   
   This is a very good book; very entertaining and morally engaging to anyone who has wondered about the Middle East crisis from a Biblical perspective. You may not agree with the thesis, but it contains a viewpoint that is intelligently and creatively presented.



3. Just a good thriller! First book I have read by either of these authors and I was very impressed!



4. I tend to read more nonfiction than fiction, but I must say I've enjoyed all 3 books in this series. All 3 have been definite page-turners.
   
   The plot is a little complicated at times and it can be hard to keep track of what's going on. Especially since the book keeps you guessing at a lot of characters' real intentions (which is one of the things that keeps this book so interesting). Although the book makes no effort to make the ending surprising, the characters keep you guessing and there's suspense until the very end.
   
   One reviewer commented that this book is a bit of a Trojan horse for Hanegraaff's ideas, which is true. A few scenes were obvious devices to work the theology in, but at least the scenes were still plausible and didn't seem too out of place. As Hanegraaff often says on his radio show, ideas have consequences, and the authors try to show that here. Dispensationalism has major consequences for the Middle East and our foreign policy.
   
   My only complaint was that this book was completely unrelated to the last two in the series. I hope the authors write another "Last Disciple" book soon so I can find out what happens to those characters too.
   
   Overall, I'd recommend this book, both for its ideas and the story itself. It's very good on all accounts, and a very worthwhile read that will certainly entertain you and may transform your thinking while it's at it.



5. There is nothing more annoying (to me) than to pick up a FICTION book and find the authors shoving their political agenda down your throat. I wasted my money on this book, wish I could get it back. The book started out really well, and then went straight to the toilet when the authors started preaching that the plight of the Palestinians is all the fault of Christians and Israel. Oh, yeah, strapping a bomb on your back and blowing up children in an ice cream shop is caused by the lack of funds sent in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. I'm so glad that these intelligent men have solved the problem that society has been grappling with for some time now. Oh, but, what about the rest of the Arab world, which has never allowed these people to claim a home, no matter where they wandered to. Even Jordan didn't want them. So, why don't they bomb the Jordanians? Gosh, kind of weakens your arguments, doesn't it? Oh, and of course, let's not forget their corrupt leadership that has lined it's own pockets with aid sent from the good ole US of A, aid that never reaches it's people. Next time, please warn people in advance that you have a political agenda in your book. It will save people money.
   
   Unless you buy into the garbage that WE are to blame for allowing Israel to reclaim their land, and we have been unfair in aid sent to the Palestinians (could have made Arafat a whole lot richer if we sent more), that all the hatred from the Muslims is because of these two reasons, then don't waste your money. That is the underlying premise that this book is based on.

No comments about Strategic Challenges: America's Global Security Agenda (National Defense University).

5 comments about Terrorism: An Introduction, 2002 Update (Wadsworth Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice).

1. Prior to Sept. 11, I took a college course on terrorism and this was the only text available at the time. It was accurate and informative then, and remains so today. Jonathan White is one of the foremost experts on terrorism and it's correlation to religion in the United States. If you are entering into the field of criminal justice or public policy, I highly recommend reading this book.



2. I recently took a class at my local community college and this book was the book assigned to the class. When I went into this class the only knowledge that I had was that of September 11 and the things that have happened since then. This book covers not only September 11 but the history of what lead up to Septmeber 11. Its a wonderful book, and recommend it to anyone who wants to understand terrorism in todays world.



3. In the fall of 2001, I was lucky enough to be taking a class at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI to satisfy a requirement for my B.S. in Criminal Justice. The class was CJ 405, titled "Terrorism", and was taught by Professor Jonathan R. White. The man is brilliant, had great stories about what services he performed for the U.S. government, and his book was, at the time, the highest circulated book on terrorism in the world. This is the book that we used, and it is absolutely the best book on terrorism I have ever read. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is seriously interested in the fighting of terrorism.



4. To give this book some credit, it seems to be written from a criminal justice perspective. However, I'm not sure it's the best approach. I found the book difficult to follow in terms of organization. It also has some factual inaccuracies - for example, White claims that the terrorist wing of Lebanese Hizballah was founded by Fathi al-Shiqaqi. Shiqaqi founded the Palestine Islamic Jihad, a completely different organization, a fact which is easily checked, but missed by the author and his editors. If you are looking for a good survey on terrorism, there are many better ones available.



5. I found this book to be inaccurate in many ways. It was incredibly biased. ALF is labeled as an ecoterrorist, which they are not. ALF helps liberate animals from cruelty. Besides the fact that ALF was labeled as a terrorist, information given about them was severly wrong. It is stated that ALF incourages its members to wear leather gloves. That is completely false. Any animal rights advocate knows that leather is a dead animals skin, ALF members would not wear leather. I could go on all day.

5 comments about Thinking Like a Terrorist: Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent.

1. This is a book that needs to be read by anyone interested in the terrorist world in which the United States finds itself. The author is an ex-FBI agent who was assigned to join terrorists organizations in the US to report on their activities.
   
   His analysis of the current situation is that our Government and particularily its intelligence agencies have not understood the way that terrorists think, what it is that they are really after, how they are really organized and much more.
   
   I unfortunately don't know enough about the situation to know if everything he says is true. However, there are a few things that come through strongly.
   
   1. Our government has clearly misunderstood what's been happening.
   
   2. The terrorists are not stupid, and clearly believe in what they are doing.
   
   3. We may be playing deliberately into their desired goals.
   
   4. Going against the rules of our own constitution in terms of wiretaps, holding people without trial, ignoring the due process of law, torture, illegal prisons in foreign countries, in short the whole Patriot's Act will do us more harm than good. As Franklin is rumored to have said: 'Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.'



2. THINKING LIKE A TERRORIST: INSIGHTS OF A FORMER FBI UNDERCOVER AGENT covers the latest war on global terror - thought the eyes of one fighting it. Mike German was a former FBI counterterrorism agent who here contends that despite all American efforts, there's a basic failure to understand the terrorists' wants and how they intend to get it. Our policies are driven by misunderstanding: THINKING LIKE A TERRORIST seeks to define and analyze the thinking of terrorism and is essential for any collection strong in terrorist studies, whether it be high school, college or public lending library.



3. Thinking Like a Terrorist: Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent
   I am about three quarters through with the book and I can't say that this book is one that you can't put down, but I don't think it was written as a novel. I have enjoyed the book as an educational document. I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to understand a little more of what is going on behind the scenes of today's terrorists; what motivates them to carry out their attacks and what philosophies they adhere to. Great Job



4. Considering 9/11 and current events regarding Al-Qaeda, this book should be on everyone's nightstand.
   
   Mr. German has written a very enlightening and informative book on not just how to get into the mind of a terrorist but also to understand their motivations. Though he discusses primarily the KKK and the IRA, he does mention Al-Qaeda occassionally. In essence, all terrorist groups are motivated by the pursuit of legitimacy, regardless of if this means losing every physical battle with auhtorities. As he says in the book, when they lose, they win. For terrorists it is not about military victory; it is about legitimacy.
   
   This book has helped make it very clear to me that the USA is losing its battle against Al-Qaeda in the same way it lost against the Viet Cong, in the same way the French lost against the Algerians and in the same way the British lost against the IRA; by not understanding how terrorists think and what motivates them and by treating their actions (regarding Al-Qaeda) as military acts and not the criminal acts they truly are.
   
   I truly hope many in our government at all levels read this book.



5. A far left view of the war on terror.
   
   The author believes we should arrest bin laden and haul him before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
   
   The author refers to the Founding Fathers as terrorists.
   
   Do you really need to hear anything else?
   
   Zero stars...