Four out of Five Stars for Lights Out by Ted Koppel....
From amazon.com:
In this New York Times bestselling
investigation, Ted Koppel reveals that a major cyberattack on
America’s power grid is not only possible but likely, that it would
be devastating, and that the United States is shockingly unprepared.
Imagine a blackout lasting not days,
but weeks or months. Tens of millions of people over several states
are affected. For those without access to a generator, there is no
running water, no sewage, no refrigeration or light. Food and medical
supplies are dwindling. Devices we rely on have gone dark. Banks no
longer function, looting is widespread, and law and order are being
tested as never before.
It isn’t just a scenario. A
well-designed attack on just one of the nation’s three electric
power grids could cripple much of our infrastructure—and in the age
of cyberwarfare, a laptop has become the only necessary weapon.
Several nations hostile to the United States could launch such an
assault at any time. In fact, as a former chief scientist of the NSA
reveals, China and Russia have already penetrated the grid. And a
cybersecurity advisor to President Obama believes that independent
actors—from “hacktivists” to terrorists—have the capability
as well. “It’s not a question of if,” says Centcom Commander
General Lloyd Austin, “it’s a question of when.” And yet, as Koppel makes clear, the
federal government, while well prepared for natural disasters, has no
plan for the aftermath of an attack on the power grid. The current
Secretary of Homeland Security suggests keeping a battery-powered
radio.
In the absence of a government plan,
some individuals and communities have taken matters into their own
hands. Among the nation’s estimated three million “preppers,”
we meet one whose doomsday retreat includes a newly excavated
three-acre lake, stocked with fish, and a Wyoming homesteader so
self-sufficient that he crafted the thousands of adobe bricks in his
house by hand. We also see the unrivaled disaster preparedness of the
Mormon Church, with its enormous storehouses, high-tech dairies,
orchards, and proprietary trucking company – the fruits of a long
tradition of anticipating the worst. But how, Koppel asks, will
ordinary civilians survive?
With urgency and authority, one of our
most renowned journalists examines a threat unique to our time and
evaluates potential ways to prepare for a catastrophe that is all but
inevitable.
My review:
I wanted to read
this book as soon as I heard about it. I’ve always wondered what
would happen, what the USA would do if everything electronic was
suddenly shut down by a cataclysmic event or otherwise. This book
brings to light with scary facts, opinions from the experts and those
everyday people that are already preparing for such an event. Koppel
is a journalist. Hence, his writing is a bit dry. Think school text
book. Not everyone will enjoy this book because of that, but he
presents the evidence that shows what I knew all along, what a great many probably know. Woe to the US
should an enemy shut down one or all of our power grids. Nothing will
work. There’ll be no electricity to run televisions, or radios or
computers. Banks can’t process money in or out. Pharmacies won’t
be able to get in medication. Supermarkets won’t be able to bring
groceries in. Fact is, as Koppel shows, the United States is the
country that is most dependent on electricity. Metropolitan areas
will feel the power loss first and foremost. What will you do should
this scenario play out for not just hours, but days, weeks even
months? Would you be prepared? The government certainly isn’t.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from
blogging for books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Product Details:
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Crown (October 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 055341996X
ISBN-13: 978-0553419962
Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Cheers!
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Released from Black Opal Books Oct. 24th, 2015 and available at all on-line retailers and indie booksellers.
My Black Opal Books Author Page:
Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Cheers!
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Released from Black Opal Books Oct. 24th, 2015 and available at all on-line retailers and indie booksellers.
My Official web page: http://www.sjfranciswriter.com
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And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2016 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
