Seeking Security in an Insecure World

Reviews / Votes

Seeking Security in an Insecure World is a unique and important contribution to the literature. No other book has the combination of scope and depth of treatment of the new global security agenda that Dan Caldwell and Robert Williams provide. Their text is insightful, engaging, grounded in theory as well as speaking to key policy issues--all in ways highly accessible for students. -- Jentleson, Bruce W. In an age that's insecure not only about future threats but also about the very definition of security in this rapidly changing world, Caldwell and Williams offer a powerful way of seeking much better answers. They argue that, just as national economies have become increasingly globalized, so too must national thinking about security give way to more globalized perspectives. Reading this book convinces one that whatever might actually work to make our world more secure is sure to prove nothing like we have ever tried in the past. This is a timely and hugely important contribution to smart thinking about national and international security. -- Tom Plate Dan Caldwell and Robert Williams have taken on a daunting challenge: to make sense of the broad array of threats facing the United States and the rest of the world in the twenty-first century. They have succeeded admirably. Seeking Security in an Insecure World provides an accessible and thoughtful analysis of issues ranging from terrorism to infectious diseases to cyber warfare. -- Lindsay, James M. In a world that is increasingly interconnected, the very concept of security requires redefinition and broadening. Dan Caldwell and Robert Williams not only offer a cogent explanation for why this is the case, they also present an excellent overview of the range and nature of the new threats. In doing so, they have provided a real service to scholars, policymakers, and interested laypeople alike. Scholars will benefit greatly from the discussion of why traditional state-based threats are limiting and a new security paradigm incorporating non-state threats is needed. Policymakers will gain from the analysis of the character of new threats, the danger of unintended consequences when employing traditional military responses to them, and the value of new forms of cooperation for containing and combating them. And interested citizens, after reading this thoughtful book, will both understand the challenges of security in a new century better and also be able to demand more imaginative and integrated responses from governments and non-governmental organizations. -- Ambassador Dennis Ross A major contribution that incisively analyzes the many new security issues that now dominate the international arena. This study fills a major gap in the literature and will become required reading for students and policy specialists. -- George, Alexander L. This is must reading for all struggling to picture the coming security landscape---an informed and informative interpretation that is sophisticated and comprehensive yet normatively centered as well. It is the best existing concise treatment of this important topic for students and interested members of the public. Highly recommended for courses dealing with the issue of security. -- Charles W. Kegley Jr. In their new book Seeking Security in an Insecure World, Dan Caldwell and Robert Williams focus our attention on a diverse set of vital issues on global and national security agendas. The clear and concise treatment of this complexity by Caldwell and Williams makes Seeking Security in an Insecure World a must read! -- Paul R. Viotti This book deals with this oft quoted but little understood issue in an organized and scholarly yet lively manner...In dealing with both traditional and contemporary sources of insecurity, this book provides light in an area commonly containing primarily heat. Proceedings Caldwell and Williams (Pepperdine Univ.), both political scientists, put forth a distinctive new approach to the traditional concept of national security... Highly recommended. Choice