Seeking Security in an Insecure World

by Dan Caldwell, Robert E. Williams Jr.

Our understanding of security has changed significantly since the end of the Cold War. No longer is war the only security threat that states face. Nor is war what it once was. Today's security agenda includes the threat posed by the spread of infectious disease. It includes global warming and oil shortages. It pits states against ethnic rebellions and transnational criminal organizations and, of course, a global network of terrorist organizations. It contemplates wars in cyber-space and on the ground against elusive individuals and shadowy organizations rather than states. The quest for security, in other words, has become far more urgent than it was during the euphoric days of the post-Cold War period and far more complicated than it was during the Cold War. Seeking Security in an Insecure World is intended to provide a brief but thorough introduction to contemporary security studies. With clear and lively prose, compelling examples, and solid scholarship, it will engage both students and general readers who wish to gain a better understanding of what security means today and how it can best be achieved.

Genres: Politics

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[mono · Rating 3 out of 5]

α - Caught my eye in the library.

Ω - Only deals with security through the perspective of the US government. Quite shallow in content and analysis. I think the "additional references" as sources of information to popular movies was silly.

The information given seems solid - which is why I don't want to be too hard on the text, as it is a textbook. As a consequence the book is a bit drab and dry.

There are a couple omissions that are perhaps too recent to be included that I wanted to bring up. The first is the rising cost of medical care - that, if it continues, by 2040 will usurp the entire GDP of the US. The second is the intelligence community's leaks - the Shadow Broker's leaks earlier this year would've been to recent, but I would think Snowden or even something older like Watergate warrant at least a footnote.

[Steve Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be the agenda for discussion of foreign policy issues.

In every recent Presidential election season, dialogue and discussion about candidates and parties often focused on trivia rather than honestly addressing serious issues. As we are well into the 2012 election season, this book should set the agenda for discussion, dialogue, and debate on foreign policy topics. Caldwell and Williams clearly lay out the various sources of threat and insecurity facing our world and specifically facing America. However, the book never drops to the level of fear-mongering of inducing helpless dread. Instead, interwoven in the discussions of realistic concerns are level-headed analyses of the policy approaches that have been used and could be used to address the challenges that we face.

[Susy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excellent presentation of the 21st century security issues, but it read like a textbook (which it was. . .my daughter's) and is slightly dated. On the latter point, many of the issues of security presented are still very relevant today and even more interesting given the Arab Spring. Glad I read it, but it was a tough read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to have a good basic understanding of the security concerns of the 21st century this the book to read. Covers just about everything you'd want to know without getting too technical or jargonistic.