Natural Security

The post 9/11 world has so far failed to exploit the insights of the greatest experiment in security of all time-the millions of successful defensive and offensive security strategies that abound in nature. Arms races among invertebrates, intelligence gathering by the immune system, alarm calls by marmots are but a few of nature's security strategies that have been tested and modified over billions of years. This provocative book applies lessons from nature to our own toughest security problems-from global terrorism to the rise of infectious disease to natural disasters. Written by a truly multi-disciplinary group including paleobiologists, anthropologists, psychologists, ecologists, and national security experts, it considers how models and ideas from evolutionary biology can improve national security strategies ranging from risk assessment, security analysis, and public policy to long-term strategic goals. Written with the aim of breaking down barriers between disparate disciplines in order to create more responsive and effective strategies,Natural Securityprovides a new lens through which to explore the ancient and ever present problem of how to maintain security in an unpredictable, complex, and dangerous world.