Reviews for Invitation to Terror: The Expanding Empire of the Unknown

The average rating for Invitation to Terror: The Expanding Empire of the Unknown based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-08-31 00:00:00 David Madden Very interesting and counter-intuitive analysis of the (wrong) ways in which we approach and frame terrorism post-9/11. The reason we use such vague and ultimately defeating terms such as the 'War on Terror', Furedi argues, is because we (i.e., the West) have an acute sense of vulnerability in the face of complexity and that we lack a system of meaning in which we can define both terrorism and our own values. Rather than the language of vulnerability which fosters a sense of powerlessness and 'what-if' thinking (as opposed to evidence-based), Furedi argues that we need to focus the resilience of communities to terrorism (drawing on literature of various communities' resilience in the face of disaster). Overall, I would have given it 4 stars he made his diagnosis of the problem shorter and more succinct which would have allowed him to spend the second half of the book on outlining a counter-proposal for how we might find meaning and foster resilience (rather than the last half of the last chapter).

Review # 2 was written on 2017-08-16 00:00:00 Alex Lock Much of this book consists of clearing out the weeds that infest the field of research about terrorism. Key terms (including "terrorism") are poorly defined; some writers assumed terrorists were pathological, and most others accepted that assumption uncritically; the relative scarcity of data for such a complex and politicized subject leads people to substitute profound-sounding metaphors for actual research; etc. Those parts alone make the book vitally important for anyone doing further research. The main messages may be summarized quickly: Terrorists are unremarkable; terrorism includes multiple aspects, all of which are complex; it may perhaps be profitably approached by considering the processes terrorists undergo, which may be grouped in terms of involvement, engagement, and disengagement. There are no simple answers to be found, and generalities are never all that general. Horgan tells of another terrorism researcher who noted that the better the study, the more muddled the findings. I would not describe Horgan's book as "muddled" exactly, but it will not satisfy people looking for clarity of the whole subject. It should, however, serve as a solid starting point for further research in the field.