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More often than not, the nightly news gives
us the opportunity to see modern weapons in action. But
what few people ever get to see is how these ever more complex
and powerful weapons come to be. Phrases like "developed
by the Pentagon" or a "Department of Defense project"
only hint at the real story -- that modern weaponry and
defense systems are born of technology developed in private,
academic, and government labs that are light years ahead
of what the military may be using at any given moment.
This book takes an unprecedented look deep
inside these organizations. Author John Edwards has conducted
dozens of exclusive, in-depth interviews with scientists
and program directors at labs all over the country -- the
ones with their sleeves rolled up, their computers humming,
their minds going places the rest of us don't even know
exist. They are, in short, The Geeks of War.
Tactical systems: battle lasers,
robotic sensors, smarter smart bombs, and the use of alternative
materials like ceramics, plastics, and clean missile fuel
made by genetically altered microbes.
Information, telecommunications, and
reconnaissance systems: advances in radio, wireless,
database function, portable power, mine detection, weather
forecasting, voice navigation, flying robots, weapons guidance
systems, and more.
Health, medicine, and biotechnology:
new treatments for wounds, bone generation, personal climate
control, and "wearable robots" that allow soldiers
to carry enormously heavy loads almost effortlessly.
Vehicles and logistics systems: quiet
jet planes and laser-powered craft, high-tech vehicle control
and damage assessment, and semiconductive technologies that
allow "waste" heat to be turned into usable energy.
Security and cryptography: virtually
unbreakable information encryption, unearthing hidden data,
neutralizing terrorist threats using microwaves, spectrometers,
"smart dust," living cells and more.
Protective gear: custom-fitted uniforms,
stronger and lighter armor, climate-sensitive clothing,
and material that can sense and relay precise information
about injuries.
The list goes on and on -- and so, of course,
do the implications. Edwards examines the myriad drivers
of this mysterious and crucial industry, from the financial
and political motives to the push from a "bigger is
better" philosophy to one focused more on efficiency.
But The Geeks of War is not a political book. Rather,
it is a brilliant example of how complex information and
seemingly intractable issues can be brought to light articulately,
accessibly, and engagingly by a master journalist.
John Edwards is a veteran business-technology
journalist who covers emerging trends for a wide range of
publications and organizations, including The Economist,
PricewaterhouseCoopers, CIO Magazine, CFO Magazine,
IEEE Computer, Oracle Magazine, and Wireless
Week. His work has also appeared in The New York
Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia
Inquirer, Men's Health and American Way,
the in-flight magazine of American Airlines. Mr. Edwards
lives in Gilbert, Arizona.
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