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How Safe Are We?: Homeland Security Since 9/11
Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano offers an insightful analysis of American security at home and a prescription for the future.
Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security was handed a sweeping make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies, oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and ICE, cybersecurity, and terrorism, among others. From 2009-2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.
In How Safe Are We ?, Napolitano pulls no punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein's Monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we'll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation's security. An agency that's part terrorism prevention, part intelligence agency, part law enforcement, public safety, disaster recovery make for an odd combination the protocol-driven, tradition-bound Washington D.C. culture. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure, and resilient.
Napolitano not only answers the titular question, but grapples with how these security efforts have changed our country and society. Where are the failures that leave us vulnerable and what has our 1 trillion dollar investment yielded over the last 15 years? And why haven't we had another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11th, 2001? In our current political climate, where Donald Trump has politicized nearly every aspect of the department, Napolitano's clarifying, bold vision is needed now more than ever.
Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security was handed a sweeping make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies, oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and ICE, cybersecurity, and terrorism, among others. From 2009-2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.
In How Safe Are We ?, Napolitano pulls no punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein's Monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we'll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation's security. An agency that's part terrorism prevention, part intelligence agency, part law enforcement, public safety, disaster recovery make for an odd combination the protocol-driven, tradition-bound Washington D.C. culture. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure, and resilient.
Napolitano not only answers the titular question, but grapples with how these security efforts have changed our country and society. Where are the failures that leave us vulnerable and what has our 1 trillion dollar investment yielded over the last 15 years? And why haven't we had another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11th, 2001? In our current political climate, where Donald Trump has politicized nearly every aspect of the department, Napolitano's clarifying, bold vision is needed now more than ever.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 26, 2019
15 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 25, 2019
You know, I really enjoyed this book. As an Arizonan, I have a special love for Janet Napolitano - a supremely popular woman Democrat governor (did you know AZ has had the most female governors of any US state?) in a staunchly Republican state. She is a politician through and through, who has had a fairly typical trajectory of interning in DC, going to law school, clerking for an AZ judge, becoming a prosecutor, getting elected as state attorney general, serving several terms as AZ governor, then becoming appointed to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Her deep history in public service is, as you learn, a boon to the complex job of running DHS.
This book is factual and no-frills, just like Napolitano herself. She sets out to answer a seemingly simple question: Are we safer now than we were before 9/11? The answer is, of course, YES, and we damn well better be given how much of our money DHS spends. Something I didn't really know was that DHS was created as a response to 9/11 - funding a department entirely dedicated to protecting our "homeland" and creating lots of agencies underneath to cover all the complex aspects of national security was an imperative after that fateful day. DHS touches citizenship, immigration, border security, transportation, bioterrorism, cybersecurity, data protection, natural disasters, and secret service. Napolitano was only the third head of DHS, and the role comes with all sorts of difficult streams to navigate.
The book reads as a resume of sorts, with Napolitano explaining all of the small but powerful accomplishments she pushed through as DHS secretary, like instituting pre-departure screenings with partner countries before passengers board a plane to the US; starting the TSA pre-check and other trusted traveler programs; and "expanding the borders" to include not just Canada and Mexico, but targeting social issues that send migrants to the US from Central America, studying cybersecurity, and protecting critical infrastructure. She discloses near-misses - terrorist attacks that were so close to happening if not for the actions of DHS - and underscores the idea that DHS does a lot more for us behind the scenes that we will never know about. She also discusses ways that the agency could be improved and outlines concrete reforms, such as the components of a real comprehensive immigration reform plan, the need to hire immigration judges at the same rate as hiring new border patrol agents, and the call to minimize how often DHS staffers have to testify in front of Congress.
The book also serves as a warning. Although she doesn't dish out gossip ("If you're looking for dirt, buy a book on gardening," she says), she highlights major areas that she thinks the Trump administration fails to/will fail to address. They play up an unreal, non-fact based threat of our borders being at risk, when they ignore the very real, scientific, and proven threats of climate change and cybersecurity. She warns against the panic, distrust, fear, and anger that comes from this sort of misinformation and failure to act, and the subsequent inability of the public to fulfill their role as the primary partners and actors in times of crisis.
Although you could learn a lot of this material by taking a class or doing some Internet research on homeland security, it is super valuable to have Napolitano's firsthand experience as a tour guide of this little-known but highly impactful department. She shows why it is important to have someone with decades of public service, diplomacy, and interagency cooperation under their belt before leading a federal agency. It's important for all of us to be aware of these issues that impact us on a daily basis and, as Napolitano suggests, to take preventative steps for our own safety.
This book is factual and no-frills, just like Napolitano herself. She sets out to answer a seemingly simple question: Are we safer now than we were before 9/11? The answer is, of course, YES, and we damn well better be given how much of our money DHS spends. Something I didn't really know was that DHS was created as a response to 9/11 - funding a department entirely dedicated to protecting our "homeland" and creating lots of agencies underneath to cover all the complex aspects of national security was an imperative after that fateful day. DHS touches citizenship, immigration, border security, transportation, bioterrorism, cybersecurity, data protection, natural disasters, and secret service. Napolitano was only the third head of DHS, and the role comes with all sorts of difficult streams to navigate.
The book reads as a resume of sorts, with Napolitano explaining all of the small but powerful accomplishments she pushed through as DHS secretary, like instituting pre-departure screenings with partner countries before passengers board a plane to the US; starting the TSA pre-check and other trusted traveler programs; and "expanding the borders" to include not just Canada and Mexico, but targeting social issues that send migrants to the US from Central America, studying cybersecurity, and protecting critical infrastructure. She discloses near-misses - terrorist attacks that were so close to happening if not for the actions of DHS - and underscores the idea that DHS does a lot more for us behind the scenes that we will never know about. She also discusses ways that the agency could be improved and outlines concrete reforms, such as the components of a real comprehensive immigration reform plan, the need to hire immigration judges at the same rate as hiring new border patrol agents, and the call to minimize how often DHS staffers have to testify in front of Congress.
The book also serves as a warning. Although she doesn't dish out gossip ("If you're looking for dirt, buy a book on gardening," she says), she highlights major areas that she thinks the Trump administration fails to/will fail to address. They play up an unreal, non-fact based threat of our borders being at risk, when they ignore the very real, scientific, and proven threats of climate change and cybersecurity. She warns against the panic, distrust, fear, and anger that comes from this sort of misinformation and failure to act, and the subsequent inability of the public to fulfill their role as the primary partners and actors in times of crisis.
Although you could learn a lot of this material by taking a class or doing some Internet research on homeland security, it is super valuable to have Napolitano's firsthand experience as a tour guide of this little-known but highly impactful department. She shows why it is important to have someone with decades of public service, diplomacy, and interagency cooperation under their belt before leading a federal agency. It's important for all of us to be aware of these issues that impact us on a daily basis and, as Napolitano suggests, to take preventative steps for our own safety.
April 22, 2019
I was hoping for more than political hackary, but was disappointed.
June 30, 2019
Although this memoir started out unbelievably slow, she has a lot to say about securing the Homeland. If she would have skipped her earlier life, it would have gotten another star from me.
February 15, 2020
I could have done without the constant hyper-partisan jabs at the Trump administration, but beyond that, it was a great book with eye opening details during Secretary Napolitano’s time at DHS.
October 15, 2019
I enjoyed learning about Janet Napolitano and her interesting and admirable career as well as the challenges associated with turning the relatively new Department of Homeland Security into a going concern. But.... have to say that the book left me with a pretty worrisome feeling about its central question “How Safe Are We?” At the moment seems like a definite “not very.” I don’t think this was the intent of the book. I think she tries to outline a faith in the American people that we can do the many things to be done. But there’s simply no doubt we are not doing those things right now..... thus, it’s a disconcerting read. In style, more of a memoir approach than a book on national security, which is what I was expecting and that’s why a three star for me.
July 5, 2019
Insightful, intelligent hands on, and up close review of the Department of Homeland Security since its inception after the 9/11 attacks and how the approach to the safekeeping of America and its citizens has changed. The author looks back on how the fledgling department was conceived, its shortcomings, and growth over the previous two decades, and the actions needed to move it forward into the future, and provide America with a sense of safety and security for the next generation.
September 19, 2019
More than a little self-serving, more than a little defensive about CBP and ICE and completely critical of Trump Administration policies that are in many ways magnifications of policies she implemented.
August 15, 2019
I was disappointed in this one. It doesn't really address the title except in one chapter, and is more of an autobiography of Janet Napolitano.
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October 28, 2021Publisher's Description: Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano offers an insightful analysis of American security at home and a prescription for the future.
Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security was handed a sweeping mandate: make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies, oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and ICE, cybersecurity, and terrorism, among others. From 2009-2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.
In How Safe Are We?, Napolitano pulls no punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein's Monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we'll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation's security. An agency that's part terrorism prevention, part intelligence agency, part law enforcement, public safety, disaster recovery make for an odd combination the protocol-driven, tradition-bound Washington D.C. culture. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure, and resilient.
Napolitano not only answers the titular question, but grapples with how these security efforts have changed our country and society. Where are the failures that leave us vulnerable and what has our 1 trillion dollar investment yielded over the last 15 years? And why haven't we had another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11th, 2001? In our current political climate, where Donald Trump has politicized nearly every aspect of the department, Napolitano's clarifying, bold vision is needed now more than ever.
Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security was handed a sweeping mandate: make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies, oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and ICE, cybersecurity, and terrorism, among others. From 2009-2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.
In How Safe Are We?, Napolitano pulls no punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein's Monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we'll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation's security. An agency that's part terrorism prevention, part intelligence agency, part law enforcement, public safety, disaster recovery make for an odd combination the protocol-driven, tradition-bound Washington D.C. culture. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure, and resilient.
Napolitano not only answers the titular question, but grapples with how these security efforts have changed our country and society. Where are the failures that leave us vulnerable and what has our 1 trillion dollar investment yielded over the last 15 years? And why haven't we had another massive terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11th, 2001? In our current political climate, where Donald Trump has politicized nearly every aspect of the department, Napolitano's clarifying, bold vision is needed now more than ever.
April 11, 2020
This was a beneficial read for me. I liked the brief autobiographical portion of the book, it gave some context to the person who would become Obama's Secretary of DHS. While concise, I gained some insight into the behemoth that is our government and the book was as political as I expected it to be.
Like another reviewer I could have done without a little of the snark toward the current administration, it took away from the objective tone of most of the book.
The biggest eye opener for me had to do with cyber security and the challenges of having cohesive preventions in place from military, government and business entities.
I began this book shortly before COVID-19 began to shut down the country. Despite being the head of DHS during H1N1, there is only a brief mention of pandemic threat in the book. The things that make for lack of prevention and preparation and the limits of reactive measures from both state and federal agencies in other types of crisis are surely being exposed through this crisis.
No easy answers in this book, but it peaked my interest to read more on some topics covered in it.
Like another reviewer I could have done without a little of the snark toward the current administration, it took away from the objective tone of most of the book.
The biggest eye opener for me had to do with cyber security and the challenges of having cohesive preventions in place from military, government and business entities.
I began this book shortly before COVID-19 began to shut down the country. Despite being the head of DHS during H1N1, there is only a brief mention of pandemic threat in the book. The things that make for lack of prevention and preparation and the limits of reactive measures from both state and federal agencies in other types of crisis are surely being exposed through this crisis.
No easy answers in this book, but it peaked my interest to read more on some topics covered in it.
May 30, 2022
I was disappointed in this book I felt it could have been more and I could have done with some of the political talks. The DHS created after 9-11 has good points but can also be used against the average American and has. So yes just like everything else there are problems with it but no one wants to address those issues on how the government can come in with the words "Terrorist Threat" Detaine you past the 72 hours before you have to be charged for a crime, take all of your property, home, bank accounts, etc, This has happened the document for how it was written can and has been used against us yet no one speaks about that. How safe are we I don't know we still get hacked China LEDs us in making chips for everything ask yourself that question? the book could have been more. I received this book from Netgalley.com
April 27, 2020
Janet Napolitano is the former Governor of Arizona and Secretary of the then newly formed Dept of Homeland Security under President Obama. She is a Democrat, and describes the challenges building a new organization and her opinion of President Trump's decisions on security. I work in business continuity and disaster recovery in information technology so I understand the problem that poor communication and misguided strategy can cause. I also worked on construction projects at an airport that beginning international flights so TSA and Customs needed additional work space to accommodate the passengers. So now we are building a wall on the Mexican border but also expanding international flights to guess which country? Our number one vacation spot -- Mexico.
May 8, 2019
Educational. Good ideas as to where to move if we can walk forward; however, I didn't read anything that got me excited. We are in a transitional period and have been for some time. I don't, however, see anything really new. People are not awake, not caring, and, it seems, once you take a post in the government, you give up a true and persistent desire to get it right, whatever your undertaking. I realize this doesn't apply to everyone (Janet seemed to try harder to get it right, mostly), but I see too many following a useless path.
March 20, 2024
I didn’t know much about Napolitano prior to reading this book, but read it because the topic seemed relevant in today’s world. However, this book is more of an autobiography, with limited information regarding the title of the book. It would have been a better read without the political criticisms and the frequent comments about her achievements.
July 7, 2019
Excellent book, although rather political (as it ought to be). Janet napolitano is a skilled writer and storyteller, weaving anecdotal stories together with hard statistics and capabilities of one of the world's largest governmental agencies.
September 8, 2019
Such an eye-opening book. Everyone should read!
October 7, 2021
A concise, almost manifesto-like accounting of DHS. Very well thought out with plenty of great recommendations for the department.
February 9, 2022
Highly enjoyed this book, despite the scary title. Ms. Napolitano is smart, no-nonsense, and focused on solutions. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews