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The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation
Why do we remain unprepared for the next terrorist attack or natural disaster?
Where are we most vulnerable?
How have we allowed our government to be so negligent?
Who will keep you and your family safe?
Is America living on borrowed time?
How can we become a more resilient nation?
Americans are in denial when it comes to facing up to how vulnerable our nation is to disaster, be it terrorist attack or act of God. We have learned little from the cataclysms of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. When it comes to catastrophe, America is living on borrowed time–and squandering it. In this new book, leading security expert Stephen Flynn issues a call to action, demanding that we wake up and prepare immediately for a safer future.
The truth is acts of terror cannot always be prevented, and nature continues to show its fury in frighteningly unpredictable ways. Resiliency, argues Flynn, must now become our national motto. With chilling frankness and clarity, Flynn paints an all too real scenario of the threats we face within our own borders. A terrorist attack on a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor could kill thousands and leave millions more of New Englanders without power or heat. The destruction of a ship with a cargo of oil in Long Beach, California, could bring the West Coast economy to its knees and endanger the surrounding population. But even these all-too-plausible terrorist scenarios pale in comparison to the potential destruction wrought by a major earthquake or hurricane.
Our growing exposure to man-made and natural perils is largely rooted in our own negligence, as we take for granted the infrastructure handed down to us by earlier generations. Once the envy of the world, this infrastructure is now crumbling. After decades of neglect, our public health system leaves us at the mercy of microbes that could kill millions in the next flu pandemic. Flash flooding could wipe out a fifty-year-old dam north of Phoenix, placing thousands of homes and lives at risk. The next San Francisco earthquake could destroy century-old levees, contaminating the freshwater supply that most of California relies on for survival.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Edge of Disaster tells us what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society. We can–and, Flynn argues, we must–construct a more resilient nation. With the wounds of recent national tragedies still unhealed, the time to act is now.
Flynn argues that by tackling head-on, eyes open the perils that lie before us, we can remain true to our most important and endearing national our sense of optimism about the future and our conviction that we can change it for the better for ourselves–and our children.
“Steve Flynn offers the answer not only to protecting America from terrorist attacks and natural disaster but also to revitalizing our democracy. This book is a must-read for all members of Congress, 2008 presidential candidates, and ordinary citizens who want to build a better and safer future.”
–Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
Advance praise for The Edge of Disaster
“Steve Flynn has done it again. Like America the Vulnerable before it, The Edge of Disaster is the must-read book for every American, elected official, and presidential candidate who is committed to ensuring that our nation continue to thrive in perilous times.”
–Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia
“Since 9/11, protecting our nation against a terrorist attack has consumed policy makers in Washington. What Stephen Flynn points out in The Edge of Disaster is that much of this effort has been directed overseas, often at the expense of our homeland and its much more likely areas of vulnerability. Laying out a series of potential disasters both manmade and natural, Flynn calls for a greater emphasis on preparedness and the ability of communities and the nation to recover. Painting an often frustrating and infuriating picture of missed opportunities, The Edge of Disaster is a call to action. The time to act is now. We can only hope that policy makers are listening.”
–Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and
former administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (2001-03)
“Steve Flynn’s book makes the very persuasive argument that national security preparedness is linked to natural disaster preparedness. By investing significantly in our critical infrastructure, in citizen preparedness, and most importantly in leadership, we can be better prepared for all hazards. A great book that I highly recommend.”
–James Lee Witt, former director, Federal Emergency Management Agency
“Steve Flynn has become a relentless contributor to the dialogue on prioritizing the work of the post-9/11 security environment. The Edge of Disaster calls into question the neglect of domestic preparedness in favor of the Department of Defense-driven offensive in the global war on terrorism. The book offers pr...
Where are we most vulnerable?
How have we allowed our government to be so negligent?
Who will keep you and your family safe?
Is America living on borrowed time?
How can we become a more resilient nation?
Americans are in denial when it comes to facing up to how vulnerable our nation is to disaster, be it terrorist attack or act of God. We have learned little from the cataclysms of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. When it comes to catastrophe, America is living on borrowed time–and squandering it. In this new book, leading security expert Stephen Flynn issues a call to action, demanding that we wake up and prepare immediately for a safer future.
The truth is acts of terror cannot always be prevented, and nature continues to show its fury in frighteningly unpredictable ways. Resiliency, argues Flynn, must now become our national motto. With chilling frankness and clarity, Flynn paints an all too real scenario of the threats we face within our own borders. A terrorist attack on a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor could kill thousands and leave millions more of New Englanders without power or heat. The destruction of a ship with a cargo of oil in Long Beach, California, could bring the West Coast economy to its knees and endanger the surrounding population. But even these all-too-plausible terrorist scenarios pale in comparison to the potential destruction wrought by a major earthquake or hurricane.
Our growing exposure to man-made and natural perils is largely rooted in our own negligence, as we take for granted the infrastructure handed down to us by earlier generations. Once the envy of the world, this infrastructure is now crumbling. After decades of neglect, our public health system leaves us at the mercy of microbes that could kill millions in the next flu pandemic. Flash flooding could wipe out a fifty-year-old dam north of Phoenix, placing thousands of homes and lives at risk. The next San Francisco earthquake could destroy century-old levees, contaminating the freshwater supply that most of California relies on for survival.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Edge of Disaster tells us what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society. We can–and, Flynn argues, we must–construct a more resilient nation. With the wounds of recent national tragedies still unhealed, the time to act is now.
Flynn argues that by tackling head-on, eyes open the perils that lie before us, we can remain true to our most important and endearing national our sense of optimism about the future and our conviction that we can change it for the better for ourselves–and our children.
“Steve Flynn offers the answer not only to protecting America from terrorist attacks and natural disaster but also to revitalizing our democracy. This book is a must-read for all members of Congress, 2008 presidential candidates, and ordinary citizens who want to build a better and safer future.”
–Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
Advance praise for The Edge of Disaster
“Steve Flynn has done it again. Like America the Vulnerable before it, The Edge of Disaster is the must-read book for every American, elected official, and presidential candidate who is committed to ensuring that our nation continue to thrive in perilous times.”
–Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia
“Since 9/11, protecting our nation against a terrorist attack has consumed policy makers in Washington. What Stephen Flynn points out in The Edge of Disaster is that much of this effort has been directed overseas, often at the expense of our homeland and its much more likely areas of vulnerability. Laying out a series of potential disasters both manmade and natural, Flynn calls for a greater emphasis on preparedness and the ability of communities and the nation to recover. Painting an often frustrating and infuriating picture of missed opportunities, The Edge of Disaster is a call to action. The time to act is now. We can only hope that policy makers are listening.”
–Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and
former administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (2001-03)
“Steve Flynn’s book makes the very persuasive argument that national security preparedness is linked to natural disaster preparedness. By investing significantly in our critical infrastructure, in citizen preparedness, and most importantly in leadership, we can be better prepared for all hazards. A great book that I highly recommend.”
–James Lee Witt, former director, Federal Emergency Management Agency
“Steve Flynn has become a relentless contributor to the dialogue on prioritizing the work of the post-9/11 security environment. The Edge of Disaster calls into question the neglect of domestic preparedness in favor of the Department of Defense-driven offensive in the global war on terrorism. The book offers pr...
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2007
13 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2008
Stephen Flynn's book is essentially a primer to goad America into better disaster preparation. He highlights America's vulnerability and lumps both man-made disasters such as terrorism with natural ones such as earthquakes. He has essentially concluded that "acts of terror cannot always be prevented" and therefore it makes sense, from his viewpoint, to make America more "resilient" so that when the inevitable happens, we'll be better prepared.
I think there's a world of difference between natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes and forest fires (where the risks are fairly well known and the nation is fairly well prepared for such disasters), and terrorism. In my view, terrorism is a much more substantial problem, particularly if enemy combatants get weapons of mass destruction. The worst possible catastrophe is a terrorist group getting dozens of nuclear weapons, smuggling them inside America, and detonating them simultaneously by remote control. That danger, alone, while statistically unlikely and difficult to execute, demands a sufficient prevention strategy, and Flynn doesn't provide this. Disaster mitigation won't help much if most of our major cities have been reduced to smoldering rubble.
So, in my view, Flynn's strategy is flawed.
The correct strategy, in my view, is to reform America in serious ways to substantially reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. And that means a new understanding of terrorism as well as substantial political reform brought about by a Second Constitutional Convention.
Flynn is one of those experts who, like Hoffman and Allison, see terrorism as essentially a government and military and police problem. And I think that's a mistake. I think terrorism is a bigger problem -- it's a citizens' problem. We're the ones who suffer when it happens. So citizens need to prevent it. And as citizens we have wider latitude and authority to act than government officials have within their current framework. We can change this framework.
Terrorism, in my view, is "violence against individual rights". Start with this definition and a solution will follow logically. One can suppose there are three types of terrorists -- criminals (neighbors who violate our rights), tyrants (our own government officials who violate our rights) and foreign terrorists (powerful individuals abroad or heads of state.) All three types must be prevented. It's not enough for government by itself to try to fight terrorism, because in trying to fight terrorism, government may become a terrorist towards its own people. It's a multi-faceted problem, larger but solvable. We can't fight one form of terrorism by exacerbating another. But this happens routinely in airports: to prevent airline hijackings (crime) security guards frisk every passenger (a form of tyranny that passengers put up with despite being treated like criminals.)
My book "Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism" (Amazon/Kindle 184 pages) spells out the logic for a prevention strategy. The essential concept linking an effort to prevent each type of terrorism is the application of light, meaning information, exposure, and awareness. For example, to prevent crime, we must identify all movement in public while strengthening privacy. For this to happen, citizens must agree to such monitoring, and for this to happen, people must become real citizens, not merely apathetic consumers and shoppers which characterize most Americans today. The concept of citizenship is examined, again, using a sense of light; citizenship should be a contract between individual and state with specific responsibilities and privileges. It's possible, then, to prevent every instance of home-grown terrorism using this method. The rest of my book shows how one can apply the concept of light to prevent tyranny and foreign terrorism. For example, I think the architecture of government requires an overhaul so that America can make steady long-term foreign policy which consistently rewards friends and punishes enemies; but today it can't do this because administrations change every eight years, sometimes after only four. I propose a revised architecture based on lessons from history and political philosophy.
My strategy will prevent all types of terrorism, including smuggled nuclear bombs. In contrast, Flynn's strategy is merely a grocery list of suggestions of ways to contain the debris following the inevitable disasters. My strategy is brief, rational, non-religious, written by a citizen for citizens, non-technical. Be prepared: there are some controversial ideas (one expert found it "bracing"). But my book can protect America. It's plain logic from one citizen to another. If reforming America is impossible, then we're stuck with having to consider disaster recovery and mitigation efforts such as those proposed by Flynn. Better to reform America and prevent terrorism. It's less messy, safer, cleaner. Please read my book and judge for yourself. I challenge Mr. Flynn to debate the merits of my strategy.
I think there's a world of difference between natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes and forest fires (where the risks are fairly well known and the nation is fairly well prepared for such disasters), and terrorism. In my view, terrorism is a much more substantial problem, particularly if enemy combatants get weapons of mass destruction. The worst possible catastrophe is a terrorist group getting dozens of nuclear weapons, smuggling them inside America, and detonating them simultaneously by remote control. That danger, alone, while statistically unlikely and difficult to execute, demands a sufficient prevention strategy, and Flynn doesn't provide this. Disaster mitigation won't help much if most of our major cities have been reduced to smoldering rubble.
So, in my view, Flynn's strategy is flawed.
The correct strategy, in my view, is to reform America in serious ways to substantially reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. And that means a new understanding of terrorism as well as substantial political reform brought about by a Second Constitutional Convention.
Flynn is one of those experts who, like Hoffman and Allison, see terrorism as essentially a government and military and police problem. And I think that's a mistake. I think terrorism is a bigger problem -- it's a citizens' problem. We're the ones who suffer when it happens. So citizens need to prevent it. And as citizens we have wider latitude and authority to act than government officials have within their current framework. We can change this framework.
Terrorism, in my view, is "violence against individual rights". Start with this definition and a solution will follow logically. One can suppose there are three types of terrorists -- criminals (neighbors who violate our rights), tyrants (our own government officials who violate our rights) and foreign terrorists (powerful individuals abroad or heads of state.) All three types must be prevented. It's not enough for government by itself to try to fight terrorism, because in trying to fight terrorism, government may become a terrorist towards its own people. It's a multi-faceted problem, larger but solvable. We can't fight one form of terrorism by exacerbating another. But this happens routinely in airports: to prevent airline hijackings (crime) security guards frisk every passenger (a form of tyranny that passengers put up with despite being treated like criminals.)
My book "Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism" (Amazon/Kindle 184 pages) spells out the logic for a prevention strategy. The essential concept linking an effort to prevent each type of terrorism is the application of light, meaning information, exposure, and awareness. For example, to prevent crime, we must identify all movement in public while strengthening privacy. For this to happen, citizens must agree to such monitoring, and for this to happen, people must become real citizens, not merely apathetic consumers and shoppers which characterize most Americans today. The concept of citizenship is examined, again, using a sense of light; citizenship should be a contract between individual and state with specific responsibilities and privileges. It's possible, then, to prevent every instance of home-grown terrorism using this method. The rest of my book shows how one can apply the concept of light to prevent tyranny and foreign terrorism. For example, I think the architecture of government requires an overhaul so that America can make steady long-term foreign policy which consistently rewards friends and punishes enemies; but today it can't do this because administrations change every eight years, sometimes after only four. I propose a revised architecture based on lessons from history and political philosophy.
My strategy will prevent all types of terrorism, including smuggled nuclear bombs. In contrast, Flynn's strategy is merely a grocery list of suggestions of ways to contain the debris following the inevitable disasters. My strategy is brief, rational, non-religious, written by a citizen for citizens, non-technical. Be prepared: there are some controversial ideas (one expert found it "bracing"). But my book can protect America. It's plain logic from one citizen to another. If reforming America is impossible, then we're stuck with having to consider disaster recovery and mitigation efforts such as those proposed by Flynn. Better to reform America and prevent terrorism. It's less messy, safer, cleaner. Please read my book and judge for yourself. I challenge Mr. Flynn to debate the merits of my strategy.
December 15, 2007
I read this book when it came out almost a year ago now, while living in Brighton, MA. Now that I live in Quincy, and take the Red Line to work everyday, passing by the LNG storage facility mentioned in one of the first disaster scenarios, I think of this book on a regular basis. I had recommended it several times as a bookseller, and thought I might make mention of it again; particularly in light of the recent forest fires, bridge collapses, and how frequently "strong on National Security" comes up pre-nomination stump speeches.
Authored by Stephen Flynn, a retired Coast Guard comander, and Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, it is an incredibly interesting look at the state of critical infrastructure in the US. But, it should be mentioned, it is not just a doom and gloom litany of our dire short comings. Flynn provides some very astute, non-partisan, recommendations for repairing our neglected roads, dams, power, and communication grids. Which, as he points out, is the best preparation for both natural disaster, as well as high impact terrorist attack.
This is one of the books that everyone in senior government ought to read, and take to heart. This is also one of the books that we, as informed voters, should hold those in office to.
Authored by Stephen Flynn, a retired Coast Guard comander, and Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, it is an incredibly interesting look at the state of critical infrastructure in the US. But, it should be mentioned, it is not just a doom and gloom litany of our dire short comings. Flynn provides some very astute, non-partisan, recommendations for repairing our neglected roads, dams, power, and communication grids. Which, as he points out, is the best preparation for both natural disaster, as well as high impact terrorist attack.
This is one of the books that everyone in senior government ought to read, and take to heart. This is also one of the books that we, as informed voters, should hold those in office to.
September 26, 2019
This is a very thought-provoking book and although I read it over a decade ago, I still return to its advice. We need to focus our infrastructure work on creating resilience as terrorism, climate change, and other natural disasters can impact us, and we are doing a woeful job of doing so.
February 9, 2009
The Edge of Disaster makes me wish there was a required reading list for all US citizens, or, at the very least, a required reading list for all of our elected officials [just as soon as we can get them to read that pesky little U.S. Constitution thing we have...:], because this is a book that is perfectly written to get people up off their butts and get them involved.
The first section of the book reviews some of the problems that make our nation vulnerable to disaster, and it will give you horrible nightmares. From crumbling levees in California to the vulnerabilities of our ports, Flynn details the problems with our infrastructure and security. 91% of Americans live in areas that are at risk, and all of us feel the civic and economic impacts of these disasters. Did I already mention the nightmares?
But it's the second section of the book that really grabs you. It's easy to catalog the problems - and there are a lot of books out there that cover a lot of issues that face us. Where Flynn really shines is that he actually lays out a number of ways to start FIXING the problems. From issues of individual responsibility to public/private partnerships to government solutions, The Edge of Disaster lists steps toward making our country less vulnerable and more resilient. And while a few of his proposals may be a bit controversial, the overwhelming majority of what he discusses is so sensible that it will make your gut hurt that it hasn't already been implemented. This is a book that practically dares its readers not to take action.
The first section of the book reviews some of the problems that make our nation vulnerable to disaster, and it will give you horrible nightmares. From crumbling levees in California to the vulnerabilities of our ports, Flynn details the problems with our infrastructure and security. 91% of Americans live in areas that are at risk, and all of us feel the civic and economic impacts of these disasters. Did I already mention the nightmares?
But it's the second section of the book that really grabs you. It's easy to catalog the problems - and there are a lot of books out there that cover a lot of issues that face us. Where Flynn really shines is that he actually lays out a number of ways to start FIXING the problems. From issues of individual responsibility to public/private partnerships to government solutions, The Edge of Disaster lists steps toward making our country less vulnerable and more resilient. And while a few of his proposals may be a bit controversial, the overwhelming majority of what he discusses is so sensible that it will make your gut hurt that it hasn't already been implemented. This is a book that practically dares its readers not to take action.
May 28, 2011
I appreciated Flynn's perspective that our national security policy should be focusing on resiliency within the United States, not just anti-terrorism activity overseas. I do think he oversold the potential role of the Coast Guard (unsurprising since he is a former Coast Guard officer), and he overindulges in scare tactics to make his point. But it was worth a read.
April 9, 2010
for emergency preparedness reading, it was pretty solid. I liked the use of fictitious situations and the examination of areas that are potentially vulnerable. that said, I felt like the author kind of got away from this towards the end of the book.
December 28, 2009
I hope that this book is on the mandatory reading list at the FBI.
Want to read
January 17, 2009Rachel Maddow said if she ever did a book club, this would be first on the list! High praise indeed!
I love Rachel Maddow.
I love Rachel Maddow.
September 21, 2009
We all know it's true, but having it all laid out for you is shocking.
Read
January 18, 2010The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation by Stephen Flynn (2007)
Currently reading
June 6, 2012Just started ... thought provoking.
September 30, 2014
Flynn makes some excellent points regarding personal and national security. The book is readable, but not brilliantly written. Would like to hear more from like-minded folks.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews