Introduction to Homeland Security Critique - Book Report/Review Example

Teacher Introduction to Homeland Security Book Review Wiley Pathways Introduction to Homeland Security: Understanding Terrorism With an Emergency Management Perspective, by David McEntire, is just that, an introduction. For those who do not know anything about terrorism, this book will be a guiding light of information that starts with how security personnel and civilians think about security today compared to the previous time period of 1940-2000, and leads into areas of terrorism that are not often discussed. Readers will be challenged in their beliefs about how alert they are to possible threats, and they will also be empowered with action steps that serve as both preventive measures against terrorism as well as short and long-term courses of action to take against attacks that come upon them. As with any beginner’s guide to this subject, the timeline of most importance begins on September 11, 2001, the day the way we think about terrorism changed forever. Following the successful attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon buildings, other attempts of terrorism were made on western countries, such as England and Spain (McEntire, 4). Throughout the reading, all important terms and phrases have definitions located in the left-hand margin, leaving nothing to question as this is a book for beginners, which is why one can find the definitions for such words as absolute poverty, cell, and IED. While sociologists understand that absolute poverty is a state in which even basic necessities are lacking, such as clean water, and people who watch the news can recognize a cell as a decentralized unit of terrorist agents operating most likely under the guidance of their superiors, McEntire leaves nothing to the chance that it may be misunderstood. This is not simply because this is a book for beginners, though. Many textbooks geared toward undergraduate studies have this format. It makes for easier reading and referencing, and aids students and other readers through a process of quickly finding information that may otherwise be difficult to locate while staying on task. Through each chapter, there are “self-checks.” They are inserted where necessary as the content can be rather rich. These sections reinforce the information by acting as a mini quiz of sorts, allowing readers to see if they are actually retaining the information or simply going through the motions. These sections can also serve as a means of helping those who are studying independently as well as students who are taking a structured course, because those who do not score well may be able to recognize that reading further may be a waste of time if a short break is not taken. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Text This book was a great overview of terrorism for beginners. Most people do not truly understand how to have an “emergency management perspective” because, frankly, they do not often need to. For this reason, a duffel bag left in a public place, such as a city parade or stadium, is easy for most people to overlook, but to a person who has paramilitary or police training, this seemingly harmless bag has the potential to create fear and destruction. Knowing this can save lives and thwart potential attacks. Another point that was well taken was the fact that terror can come in both synthetic and natural forms. Synthetic, or manmade, terrorism would be the attack on September 11, 2001. Natural terror is the type that comes from the cholera outbreaks in Haiti that began to spread late last year after much of the country suffered as a result of Hurricane Tomas (Archibold, A4). In addition to this, people who read this will be more prepared for a terror strike by comprehensive explanations of how priorities changed toward terrorism in the United States after 9/11, the ideology behind the violence created in these acts, differing perspectives from those who are in the same communities as those who create such violence, and how to prevent terrorist attacks through threat assessment, terrorism readiness, and, in the event that an attack is successfully made, means by which one can recover. The text itself is very well written, and specifically geared to a person who has yet to understand the minutia of the subject, such as the fact that the drug trade in Middle Eastern countries like Afghanistan are the sole source of funds for terror at home and abroad, and that in these countries it is extremely difficult to fight a drug war because of how much more money common foot soldiers make compared to policemen, which, in many cases, is three times as much (Poole, 220-222). This contrasts greatly to the United States where drug busts are more common because the police cannot be enticed by foot soldiers since many earn near minimum wage (Levitt, Dubner, 100-103). The best part of the reading was the self-check where summary questions were offered throughout the chapters. These were great for reviewing the material that was just read. The main area for criticism of this work is that it does not get into the heart of terrorism, but, rather, scratches the surface. The challenge in this is that the author needs to be able to teach a wide audience so that more people understand something that has been so convoluted. While most people will learn something from this book, those who are most likely to want to read it, such as people are feeling that it is their personal duty to understand terrorist threats within their community, will find that it will not personally serve them, but perhaps help them as a resource to teach by. Recommendations For any course that involves students who are not ready for advanced materials on this subject matter, Wiley Pathways Introduction to Homeland Security is a great resource. Not only does it break down the material to a manner that is easy to understand, but it also offers lessons in history, sociology, and current events that are not often covered in a way that is easy to understand. The same can be said of the concept of homeland security and the need of those living in the United States and other free countries to consider just how far they are willing to go in terms of being free and being secure, because there are times when people feel compelled to trade one for the other despite the wisdom of some who state that a person who would trade their freedom for security loses both (Franklin, 1738). Regardless of one’s views on the topic, this textbook is invaluable for those who are in the beginning stages of understanding what has happened in recent history, how it relates to the worlds they do and do not live in, and why it is relevant to them today. Without this resource, another of equal caliber should be found that is not only alike in content, but also similar in design its aesthetics, which include definitions in the margins, self-check assessments, and reasonable vocabulary were all very well done. One other recommendation for this work is that it would be complemented if it had an accompanying guide or pamphlet for those who wanted to capitalize on their studies with more intensive reading. For example, the history was very interesting, but it pertained strictly to the context of presenting information to people who do not know much, if anything, about the subject matter. For this reason, only classroom discussion would bring it to the attention of most students that some of today’s terrorist groups were trained by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). One such group is the Mujahedeen, who were in Afghanistan fighting the Soviet Union as the big red monster was practically wiping them out (Andrews). While this information would be too much for some, especially those who are not interested in the subject, offering it as a means of optional reading would prove to be more than fascinating for others to include lovers of both history and irony. Works Cited McEntire, David. Wiley Pathways Introduction to Homeland Security. Danvers: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009. Print. Archibold, Randal. "Strengthening Hurricane Swipes Haiti." New York Times 5 Nov., 2010: A4. Print. Poole, John. Expeditionary Eagles. Emerald Isle: Posterity Press, 2010. Print. Levitt, Steven; Dubner, Stephen. Freakonomics. New York: William Morrow, 2005. Print. Franklin, Benjamin. Poor Richard’s Almanack. Philadelphia: Richard Saunders, 1738. Andrews, Paul. "The CIA, ISI, and Mujahideen, 1979-1992." Suite101.com 8 May, 2009: n. pag. Web. 26 Feb 2011. . Read More