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Security Mom: An Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland and Your Home
It’s time to put the “home” back into our homeland. Part prescription and part memoir, this exceptional view of America’s security concerns by a leading government Homeland Security advisor, Pulitzer Prize–finalist columnist, CNN analyst and mother of three delivers a message and a security begins at home.
“Soccer Moms” are so last decade. Juliette Kayyem is a “Security Mom.” A national security expert who worked at the highest levels of government, and also a mom of three, she’s lived it all—from the fears of being a target of an anthrax hoax, to the challenges of managing the BP Oil spill, to the more intimate challenges of defeating lice in her children’s hair—and now she tells it all. Weaving her personal story of marriage and motherhood into a fast-paced account of managing the nation’s most compelling disasters, Juliette recounts the milestones that mark the path of her unpredictable, daring, funny, and ultimately relatable life.
In her insider’s look at American emergency and disaster management, Juliette distills years of professional experience into smart, manageable guidelines for keeping your family safe in an unpredictable world. From stocking up on coloring books to stashing duplicate copies of valuable papers out of state, Juliette’s wisdom does more than just prepare us to survive in an age of mayhem—it empowers us to thrive. Her message, the result of years working where tragedy has thrived, is ultimately starting in our homes, each of us—every mom, dad, aunt, uncle, yes every citizen—has the capacity to build a more resilient nation.
Security Mom is an utterly modern tale about the highs and lows of having-it-all parenthood and a candid, sometimes shocking, behind-the-scenes look inside the high-stakes world of national security. Unlike so many in her field who seem invested on terrifying citizens into paralysis, Juliette’s motto has always been “don’t scare, prepare!” In her signature refreshing style, Juliette reveals how she came to learn that homeland security is not simply about tragedy and terror; it is about what we can do every day to keep each other strong and safe.
“Soccer Moms” are so last decade. Juliette Kayyem is a “Security Mom.” A national security expert who worked at the highest levels of government, and also a mom of three, she’s lived it all—from the fears of being a target of an anthrax hoax, to the challenges of managing the BP Oil spill, to the more intimate challenges of defeating lice in her children’s hair—and now she tells it all. Weaving her personal story of marriage and motherhood into a fast-paced account of managing the nation’s most compelling disasters, Juliette recounts the milestones that mark the path of her unpredictable, daring, funny, and ultimately relatable life.
In her insider’s look at American emergency and disaster management, Juliette distills years of professional experience into smart, manageable guidelines for keeping your family safe in an unpredictable world. From stocking up on coloring books to stashing duplicate copies of valuable papers out of state, Juliette’s wisdom does more than just prepare us to survive in an age of mayhem—it empowers us to thrive. Her message, the result of years working where tragedy has thrived, is ultimately starting in our homes, each of us—every mom, dad, aunt, uncle, yes every citizen—has the capacity to build a more resilient nation.
Security Mom is an utterly modern tale about the highs and lows of having-it-all parenthood and a candid, sometimes shocking, behind-the-scenes look inside the high-stakes world of national security. Unlike so many in her field who seem invested on terrifying citizens into paralysis, Juliette’s motto has always been “don’t scare, prepare!” In her signature refreshing style, Juliette reveals how she came to learn that homeland security is not simply about tragedy and terror; it is about what we can do every day to keep each other strong and safe.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2016
26 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Juliette Kayyem
3 books35 followersJuliette Kayyem is currently the Robert and Renee Belfer Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where she is Faculty Director of the Homeland Security Project and the Security and Global Health Project.
She is the CEO and Co – Founder of Grip Mobility, a technology company looking to provide transparency in the rideshare industry. She has spent over 20 years managing complex policy initiatives and organizing government responses to major crises in both state and federal government.
Kayyem appears frequently on CNN as their on-air national security analyst. Additionally, she is a weekly featured analyst on Boston Public Radio, 89.7 WGBH Boston’s Local NPR. She also has columns in The Atlantic.
She is the CEO and Co – Founder of Grip Mobility, a technology company looking to provide transparency in the rideshare industry. She has spent over 20 years managing complex policy initiatives and organizing government responses to major crises in both state and federal government.
Kayyem appears frequently on CNN as their on-air national security analyst. Additionally, she is a weekly featured analyst on Boston Public Radio, 89.7 WGBH Boston’s Local NPR. She also has columns in The Atlantic.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 22, 2018
This book is an interesting read. Mind you, the author is no particular literary talent. That's why only 3 stars.
One thing I could have told the author had she asked my advice before she took that job in the Obama White House: Having a job like this and raising children doesn't mix well.
One thing I could have told the author had she asked my advice before she took that job in the Obama White House: Having a job like this and raising children doesn't mix well.
April 7, 2016
In the last Massachusetts gubernatorial race, I volunteered early on for Juliette Kayyem and I’m convinced she now has me on a watch list. It’s not the easiest thing to take orders from millennials as a GenXer who has volunteered on political campaigns since they were babies. Things didn’t go well with these young ones and I’m pretty sure they held my mental health against me and then I found Juliette Kayyem had even blocked me on twitter and I’m not quite sure why. I chose to work with her. I picked her as my candidate. Unfortunately she did not receive enough caucus votes to secure a place on the ballot. Also interestingly Emily’s List—an organization devoted to putting women in political office—would only support ONE female candidate in Massachusetts and that was then Attorney General Martha Coakley, who as we know went on to lose against Republican Charlie Baker. That’s my connection with Juliette Kayyem.
Her new book Security Mom focuses more on the memoir part than the how-to part. Kayyem’s worked for the Department of Justice, she’s taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and worked as assistant secretary of Homeland Security and as the homeland security advisor for Massachusetts under Governor Deval Patrick. She does include tips we’ve all heard before disasters and after 9/11 such as keep a stocked first-aid kit; stock up on water and canned goods and flashlights and batteries; know your exit plan. One smart thing is to photocopy all essential paperwork—birth certificates, social security cards, passports and mail to someone out-of-state. Kayyem stresses: “We don’t need to live in fear of catastrophic disaster striking at any time. Preparedness means taking responsibility in the event that it might. When more people are prepared, fewer people will need help. That will minimize the possibility of greater catastrophe.”
Kayyem discusses The Boston Marathon bombing, the H1N1 pandemic, the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, anthrax scare and the BP oil spill. It’s a chronological account to her career as an attorney and terrorism expert. Her career began as an attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Former governor Deval Patrick served as Assistant Attorney General and her direct supervisor under Attorney General Janet Reno. She notes she was the only high-ranking Arab-American [she’s part Lebanese] at the Justice Department. Soon Janet Reno placed Kayyem on a team that reviewed “secret evidence” cases. The task: to examine how the FBI investigated certain individuals. This work started to make her a terrorism expert. She notes: “As my work drew me deeper into the national security apparatus, I became privy to information about the threats to our nation from various terrorist organizations thriving abroad and at home, as well as about the amount of activity—surveillance, intelligence operations, military actions, law enforcement raids—being performed to protect the country.”
In the 90s Congress appointed her to the National Commission on Terrorism. Of the appointment, Kayyem wrote: “The Democrats needed to show that I was a safe appointment, qualified and also acceptable to all of the religious, political, and ethnic groups invested in the issue: a Christian Arab-American terrorist expert born in California and married to a Jewish Law professor—a Harvard law professor, no less!” No slacker herself, Kayyem graduated from both Harvard College and Harvard Law School. That’s where she met her husband. No doubt Kayyem’s career fascinates and impresses and she details much of it within these pages. Might lead you to feel you’ve accomplished little with your own career. Although you’ll notice that each career appointment connects to her last. Politics subsists by who you know. If you are interested in homeland security, counter-terrorism and safety, it’s a book you should read. I’d rather not give out too many details. Watch list and all.
--amy steele
I received this book for review from Simon & Schuster
posted here: http://entertainmentrealm.com/2016/04...
Her new book Security Mom focuses more on the memoir part than the how-to part. Kayyem’s worked for the Department of Justice, she’s taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and worked as assistant secretary of Homeland Security and as the homeland security advisor for Massachusetts under Governor Deval Patrick. She does include tips we’ve all heard before disasters and after 9/11 such as keep a stocked first-aid kit; stock up on water and canned goods and flashlights and batteries; know your exit plan. One smart thing is to photocopy all essential paperwork—birth certificates, social security cards, passports and mail to someone out-of-state. Kayyem stresses: “We don’t need to live in fear of catastrophic disaster striking at any time. Preparedness means taking responsibility in the event that it might. When more people are prepared, fewer people will need help. That will minimize the possibility of greater catastrophe.”
Kayyem discusses The Boston Marathon bombing, the H1N1 pandemic, the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, anthrax scare and the BP oil spill. It’s a chronological account to her career as an attorney and terrorism expert. Her career began as an attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Former governor Deval Patrick served as Assistant Attorney General and her direct supervisor under Attorney General Janet Reno. She notes she was the only high-ranking Arab-American [she’s part Lebanese] at the Justice Department. Soon Janet Reno placed Kayyem on a team that reviewed “secret evidence” cases. The task: to examine how the FBI investigated certain individuals. This work started to make her a terrorism expert. She notes: “As my work drew me deeper into the national security apparatus, I became privy to information about the threats to our nation from various terrorist organizations thriving abroad and at home, as well as about the amount of activity—surveillance, intelligence operations, military actions, law enforcement raids—being performed to protect the country.”
In the 90s Congress appointed her to the National Commission on Terrorism. Of the appointment, Kayyem wrote: “The Democrats needed to show that I was a safe appointment, qualified and also acceptable to all of the religious, political, and ethnic groups invested in the issue: a Christian Arab-American terrorist expert born in California and married to a Jewish Law professor—a Harvard law professor, no less!” No slacker herself, Kayyem graduated from both Harvard College and Harvard Law School. That’s where she met her husband. No doubt Kayyem’s career fascinates and impresses and she details much of it within these pages. Might lead you to feel you’ve accomplished little with your own career. Although you’ll notice that each career appointment connects to her last. Politics subsists by who you know. If you are interested in homeland security, counter-terrorism and safety, it’s a book you should read. I’d rather not give out too many details. Watch list and all.
--amy steele
I received this book for review from Simon & Schuster
posted here: http://entertainmentrealm.com/2016/04...
February 22, 2017
You rarely hear stories told by women from the front lines of national security, and emergency recovery. Juliette is an incredibly intelligent, well-educated and experienced national security expert who devoted years of her life to serving in some of the highest positions in national security, and raising a family. Her struggles are that of any working mother - times 10. Her personal accounts are riveting and the pull from home is relatable. Good book, glad she is back home.
January 8, 2019
I generally love a good memoir, but this was a slightly odd combination of memoir, political commentary and how-to. It skittered between the genres with little cohesion. I liked the memoir portions the best; hearing a first hand, behind the scenes look at some of the biggest issues the US has faced in the last 15 years. The attempts to offer "how-to" advice were not deep enough to offer any practical ideas and the political comments were just randomly thrown in.
June 19, 2017
Security Mom is a good book. But it's also an important book, especially if you have kids. Ms. Kayyem gives you the tools to prepare you and your family for impending disasters or terror attacks. She takes the fear out of thinking about those events and instead gives you a purpose.
Before I read this book, I never thought about disasters or terror attacks at home. I live in a place where that just doesn't cross my mind. However, it should. Because you never know where the next thing is going to happen. It doesn't take much to be prepared. She gives good, practical advice and tells her own compelling story. Despite the tough topic, I enjoyed this book.
I won this book from Goodreads and received no other compensation in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed herein and mine and mine alone.
Before I read this book, I never thought about disasters or terror attacks at home. I live in a place where that just doesn't cross my mind. However, it should. Because you never know where the next thing is going to happen. It doesn't take much to be prepared. She gives good, practical advice and tells her own compelling story. Despite the tough topic, I enjoyed this book.
I won this book from Goodreads and received no other compensation in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed herein and mine and mine alone.
June 9, 2019
This was not at all what I expected, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It’s a super conversational book about the development of homeland security as a concept, written by a liberal lawyer who got swept into by accident (she was a civil rights lawyer who worked with Byron Stevenson by training.) It’s like beach read political history with mom jokes.
July 5, 2017
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a business organization that offers business skills, hope, and dreams to be used in their ministry.
June 3, 2021
More of a memoir than a guide. There were a few good tips that I intend to implement in my home. Interesting to read about how she viewed and responded to the events from 2001 until 2012 (9/11 until the Boston Marathon bombing).
February 4, 2022
The only reason this loses one star is the title of the book (it seems a little clunky and doesn't really share any specific tips) BUT I really loved this and the honesty and details both at a professional and personal level from a very smart and savvy woman.
June 14, 2017
I loved reading a book written from a woman in her place. She told her story with humor and insight I really appreciated.
September 13, 2017
A well-written narrative that weaves many of the struggles of working parents, as well as many of the details of homeland security most of us don't ever have to let, cross our minds.
August 19, 2019
Interesting, but not great.
July 19, 2021
I liked this so much more than I thought I would. It's a great insight into homeland security and what that really means. Julia is a straight shooter.
February 11, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this! First-person account of what it's like to be a working mom in high-level state and federal government roles. Kayyem presents with humor and candor. Insights into her world as well as security and political issues. Definitely someone I'd like to take to lunch someday. :)
May 23, 2016
I won this book on Goodreads.
It was basically a biography of Juliette Kayyems life as a high level security expert with our government. Over the years she has worked in many capacities in this field.It encompassed her personal life with her husband and three children and the pressures of incorporating these in her life with a very stressful and spur of the moment travel type of job. The one important thing I learned from this book is that we are never safe. We must do the best we can and realize that our lives revolve in a flux and chaos can reign at any time without warning.
It was basically a biography of Juliette Kayyems life as a high level security expert with our government. Over the years she has worked in many capacities in this field.It encompassed her personal life with her husband and three children and the pressures of incorporating these in her life with a very stressful and spur of the moment travel type of job. The one important thing I learned from this book is that we are never safe. We must do the best we can and realize that our lives revolve in a flux and chaos can reign at any time without warning.
Read
July 25, 2016Well written. Informational and insightful. Things are not always as simple as they seem and in our 24 hour news cycle with each network looking for something to exploit and raise ratings it is difficult for those charged with protecting us to do what needs to be done. Transparency is extremely important in these matters and we all need to take responsibility for our safety - it's not about the government alone but rather us working together. Threats won't go away but awareness can reduce fear and can make us more ready to deal when stuff happens.
February 6, 2017
It was all right - an autobiography
April 20, 2016
Witty, insightful and personal. Juliette Kayyem is one of America's top security experts and brings us into her world to make the point that we must all take our own measures and not rely solely on the government to keep us safe. Filled with her own experiences, she takes us through America's evolution on disaster preparedness, making the point that danger is never far away and there is still much work to do. Highly recommend this book - a wake up call.
Read
January 2, 2017I wolfed it down but I am not convinced that it is in any way a guide (more like a memoir with some useful remarks). Also, I hate it when anybody uses homeland to refer to the US. Highly recommend it anyway.
Want to read
May 9, 2016This book was really an amazing read.I could not put it down.a must read.so don't wait get this book and read it.I give this book five stars
July 24, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews