Rating: 
Summary: The Leading Scholarly Book on Terrorism
Review: As former deputy Chief of Counter terrorism at the CIA, the author is exceedingly qualified as well as articulate. This is the book for you if you want to learn about terrorism and what is being done about it from one of the world's leading experts. The book provides detailed real life examples. The book is highly enlightening and is likely to cause changes in your viewpoint. If you need a book to get emotionally pumped up about the topic, look else where. It is ridiculous to think that the CIA and other parts of the government establishment were short on knowledge about terrorism prior to 911 as one reviewer contends. When congress slashes the budget of any part of the government it follows that its performance will spiral downward. This book will help those that are so ill informed. The book will not help you understand why the voting public has been indifferent to the intelligence community prior to 911.Many assume that a book published by a think tank will be challenging to read-- this one is not. While a high brow non fiction book, it is ultra easy to read. You really learn and think about terrorism in a broader scope. Author is so coldly analytical about the evaluation of lives lost versus preventative cost and life style change. Reminds me of a medical school professor explaining that some medications are going to slip through the FDA approval process that would save many lives but end up with serious unrecognized side effects for several people. This is making drug approvals excessively expensive because the FDA is so politicized in fear of its own errors. How we now handle terrorism is certain to be political and likely divisively partisan despite today's moment of bipartisanship. The author seems so though and analytical in laying out the issues. This book could become very popular in the years ahead. Terrorism will be around a long time, but the world won't be tolerating it the same old way. This book may be followed by many low quality books that will appeal to sensational aspects now before the public. However, I look forward to this author's update for the best understanding of the scourge on humanity post 911. USA has been the leading target for the decades. We are the superpower that now is leading the world in combating this menace and that will add to the proportion of events against the USA but lessen the world total. As time progresses the tolerance for non democratic governments has declined dramatically, governments that support terrorism will now be the first to go. How far the hunt proceeds and into how many countries is the most provocative question. Reading this book certainly prepares one for having a frame of reference as the events unfold beyond the current action.
Rating:
Summary: Taking the panic out of terror
Review: I have only begun reading this book, but have already advanced my understanding of terrorism a thousand-fold. It is eerie to read the book, knowing that it was written before the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. If only we'd read it before then... This is not a mass-market book; it is more reminiscent of a college textbook. There are no photographs, and no lurid descriptions of terrorist attacks. Those omissions provide an example of the importance of this book: by de-sensationalizing terrorism, the author renders it possible to apply unimpassioned reason to a menace that can only by combatted by careful planning, intelligent strategizing, and long-term considerations of foreign policy. Despite its sobriety, however, the writing is lucid and elegant. It is a relief to find that at least one author has been studying the problem of terrorism so recently, and in such depth. After reading the book, terrorism remains something to be feared, but no longer a source of panic. I urgently recommend the book to anyone who had been overwhelmed by the WTC incident and is trying to comprehend the "new world" in which we live. Pillar has made international terrorism comprehensible -- which is a major contribution to America's efforts to recover from the September 11th attack. Knowledge is strength.
Rating:
Summary: Taking the panic out of terror
Review: I have only begun reading this book, but have already advanced my understanding of terrorism a thousand-fold. It is eerie to read the book, knowing that it was written before the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. If only we'd read it before then... This is not a mass-market book; it is more reminiscent of a college textbook. There are no photographs, and no lurid descriptions of terrorist attacks. Those omissions provide an example of the importance of this book: by de-sensationalizing terrorism, the author renders it possible to apply unimpassioned reason to a menace that can only by combatted by careful planning, intelligent strategizing, and long-term considerations of foreign policy. Despite its sobriety, however, the writing is lucid and elegant. It is a relief to find that at least one author has been studying the problem of terrorism so recently, and in such depth. After reading the book, terrorism remains something to be feared, but no longer a source of panic. I urgently recommend the book to anyone who had been overwhelmed by the WTC incident and is trying to comprehend the "new world" in which we live. Pillar has made international terrorism comprehensible -- which is a major contribution to America's efforts to recover from the September 11th attack. Knowledge is strength.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Policy Review of Options on Terrorism
Review: Mr. Pillar has impressive academic (he holds a Doctorate's from Princeton) and work experience (Chief Deputy of Couterterrorism at the CIA) credentials. His book, although not a fast read fad type manuscript, is not overblown. Mr. Pillar provides the reader with a concise overview of the policy options available to the U.S. in combating terrorism with an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. A MUST READ to understand what are the options in this First War of Globalization.
Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: Mr. Pillar makes many very interesting and well-balanced points in writing this book. His suggestions are quite well founded and realistic. Too often suggested methods to combat terrorism are either inadequate or too extraordinary to be accomplished. Pillar offers very plausible and level-headed suggestions and expectations for the United States' counter-terrorism programs.
Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: Mr. Pillar makes many very interesting and well-balanced points in writing this book. His suggestions are quite well founded and realistic. Too often suggested methods to combat terrorism are either inadequate or too extraordinary to be accomplished. Pillar offers very plausible and level-headed suggestions and expectations for the United States' counter-terrorism programs.
Rating:
Summary: An Anti-terrorism Tutorial From a Pro
Review: Paul Pillar brings stunning clarity and an insider's sagacity to a subject that is far more complex than the sound-bites and political posturing that we normally hear. Written before Sept. 11th, it is amazingly accurate in its assessment of the pitfalls and possibilities of counter-terrorist policy decisions. This is essential reading for a congress that has far too often passed simplistic and consequently counter-productive legislation to cure a problem that they don't fully comprehend. Though written by a savvy professional in this field, the book is amazingly lucid and full of concrete examples. A "must read".
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: This book is an excellent resource for anyone studying terrorism. I used it as part of a bibliography for my final Army War College paper. Though the paper was about National Missile Defense, I found an incredible amount of data I could use. It is sober, insightful, and easy to read....unlike many books on the same topic. I have loaned my copy to other Army officers as a primer for curent events. Hope I get it back.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: This book is an excellent resource for anyone studying terrorism. I used it as part of a bibliography for my final Army War College paper. Though the paper was about National Missile Defense, I found an incredible amount of data I could use. It is sober, insightful, and easy to read....unlike many books on the same topic. I have loaned my copy to other Army officers as a primer for curent events. Hope I get it back.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read on terrorism
Review: This is not a book about secret operations or police actions against terrorism. This text is about the phenomenom of terrorism, its different manifestations and the kinds of groups related to this activities. Mr. Pillar explains the methods for answering the terrorist threat and -contrary to what many may think- he relegates military actions to the last place of the list. This book was written before September 11, 2001, but certainly it helps explain why the attacks took place and sets the path to prevent such acts in the future. This book is also important for those interested on the legal aspects of terrorism, because it deals with different instruments adopted to combat this threat. For every person who would like to form his/her own opinion on how to fight terrorism, this text is a must read.
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