Myths of Empire
Myths of Empire

Author: Jack Snyder

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2013-05-21

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 0801468590

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Overextension is the common pitfall of empires. Why does it occur? What are the forces that cause the great powers of the industrial era to pursue aggressive foreign policies? Jack Snyder identifies recurrent myths of empire, describes the varieties of overextension to which they lead, and criticizes the traditional explanations offered by historians and political scientists.He tests three competing theories—realism, misperception, and domestic coalition politics—against five detailed case studies: early twentieth-century Germany, Japan in the interwar period, Great Britain in the Victorian era, the Soviet Union after World War II, and the United States during the Cold War. The resulting insights run counter to much that has been written about these apparently familiar instances of empire building.

Privacy Is Hard and Seven Other Myths
Privacy Is Hard and Seven Other Myths

Author: Jaap-Henk Hoepman

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2023-10-03

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 0262547201

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An expert on computer privacy and security shows how we can build privacy into the design of systems from the start. We are tethered to our devices all day, every day, leaving data trails of our searches, posts, clicks, and communications. Meanwhile, governments and businesses collect our data and use it to monitor us without our knowledge. So we have resigned ourselves to the belief that privacy is hard--choosing to believe that websites do not share our information, for example, and declaring that we have nothing to hide anyway. In this informative and illuminating book, a computer privacy and security expert argues that privacy is not that hard if we build it into the design of systems from the start. Along the way, Jaap-Henk Hoepman debunks eight persistent myths surrounding computer privacy. The website that claims it doesn't collect personal data, for example; Hoepman explains that most data is personal, capturing location, preferences, and other information. You don't have anything to hide? There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep personal information--even if it's not incriminating or embarrassing--private. Hoepman shows that just as technology can be used to invade our privacy, it can be used to protect it, when we apply privacy by design. Hoepman suggests technical fixes, discussing pseudonyms, leaky design, encryption, metadata, and the benefits of keeping your data local (on your own device only), and outlines privacy design strategies that system designers can apply now.

Oilcraft
Oilcraft

Author: Robert Vitalis

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2020-07-14

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 1503612341

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“A valuable addition to the new wave of critical studies on the history of oil and energy policy”—and a bracing corrective to longstanding myths (James M. Gustafson, Diplomatic History). Conventional wisdom tells us that the US military presence in the Persian Gulf is what guarantees American access to oil; that the “special” relationship with Saudi Arabia is necessary to stabilize an otherwise volatile market; and that these assumptions in turn provide Washington enormous leverage over Europe and Asia. But the conventional wisdom is wrong. Robert Vitalis debunks the myths of “oilcraft”, a line of magical thinking closer to witchcraft than statecraft. Oil is a commodity like any other: bought, sold, and subject to market forces. Vitalis exposes the suspect fears of oil scarcity and investigates the geopolitical impact of these false beliefs. In particular, Vitalis shows how we can reconsider the question of the US-Saudi special relationship, which confuses and traps many into unnecessarily accepting what they imagine is a devil’s bargain. Freeing ourselves from the spell of oilcraft won’t be easy, but the benefits make it essential.

Secrets and Lies
Secrets and Lies

Author: Bruce Schneier

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-03-23

Total Pages: 453

ISBN-13: 1119092434

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This anniversary edition which has stood the test of time as a runaway best-seller provides a practical, straight-forward guide to achieving security throughout computer networks. No theory, no math, no fiction of what should be working but isn't, just the facts. Known as the master of cryptography, Schneier uses his extensive field experience with his own clients to dispel the myths that often mislead IT managers as they try to build secure systems. A much-touted section: Schneier's tutorial on just what cryptography (a subset of computer security) can and cannot do for them, has received far-reaching praise from both the technical and business community. Praise for Secrets and Lies "This is a business issue, not a technical one, and executives can no longer leave such decisions to techies. That's why Secrets and Lies belongs in every manager's library."-Business Week "Startlingly lively....a jewel box of little surprises you can actually use."-Fortune "Secrets is a comprehensive, well-written work on a topic few business leaders can afford to neglect."-Business 2.0 "Instead of talking algorithms to geeky programmers, [Schneier] offers a primer in practical computer security aimed at those shopping, communicating or doing business online-almost everyone, in other words."-The Economist "Schneier...peppers the book with lively anecdotes and aphorisms, making it unusually accessible."-Los Angeles Times With a new and compelling Introduction by the author, this premium edition will become a keepsake for security enthusiasts of every stripe.

Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa
Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa

Author: Cathy Haenlein

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-06

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1351370804

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A worldwide surge in poaching and wildlife trafficking is threatening to decimate endangered species. This crisis also threatens the security of human beings in ways ignored until recently by decision-makers slow to begin to treat what is typically viewed as a ‘conservation issue’ as serious crime. Over the past decade, as the scale and profitability of poaching and wildlife trafficking have grown, politicians, journalists and campaigners throughout the world have begun to take notice – they are offering striking appraisals of the threat posed not only to endangered species but also to human populations. Many of these appraisals, however, are made in the absence of a detailed body of empirical research and analysis to underpin them. The result is the growth of a range of myths and misperceptions around the security threats posed, particularly as they relate to Africa. Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa examines the most common narratives on poaching, wildlife trafficking and security. It critically analyses the dominant discourses on poaching and wildlife trafficking as threats to human security, as drivers of conflict, as funders of terrorism and as a focus for organised crime. In doing so, it seeks to sort myth from reality, to clarify how poaching and wildlife trafficking, as much cited threats to security, can most accurately be conceived. Such a study is crucial to the efforts of stakeholders now rightly looking to respond not just to the threat posed to endangered species, but also to the security and wellbeing of human beings.

The Myths of Innovation
The Myths of Innovation

Author: Scott Berkun

Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."

Published: 2010-08-13

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 1449399614

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In this new paperback edition of the classic bestseller, you'll be taken on a hilarious, fast-paced ride through the history of ideas. Author Scott Berkun will show you how to transcend the false stories that many business experts, scientists, and much of pop culture foolishly use to guide their thinking about how ideas change the world. With four new chapters on putting the ideas in the book to work, updated references and over 50 corrections and improvements, now is the time to get past the myths, and change the world. You'll have fun while you learn: Where ideas come from The true history of history Why most people don't like ideas How great managers make ideas thrive The importance of problem finding The simple plan (new for paperback) Since its initial publication, this classic bestseller has been discussed on NPR, MSNBC, CNBC, and at Yale University, MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Google, Amazon.com, and other major media, corporations, and universities around the world. It has changed the way thousands of leaders and creators understand the world. Now in an updated and expanded paperback edition, it's a fantastic time to explore or rediscover this powerful view of the world of ideas. "Sets us free to try and change the world."--Guy Kawasaki, Author of Art of The Start "Small, simple, powerful: an innovative book about innovation."--Don Norman, author of Design of Everyday Things "Insightful, inspiring, evocative, and just plain fun to read. It's totally great."--John Seely Brown, Former Director, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) "Methodically and entertainingly dismantling the cliches that surround the process of innovation."--Scott Rosenberg, author of Dreaming in Code; cofounder of Salon.com "Will inspire you to come up with breakthrough ideas of your own."--Alan Cooper, Father of Visual Basic and author of The Inmates are Running the Asylum "Brimming with insights and historical examples, Berkun's book not only debunks widely held myths about innovation, it also points the ways toward making your new ideas stick."--Tom Kelley, GM, IDEO; author of The Ten Faces of Innovation

Myths & Realities of Security & Public Affairs
Myths & Realities of Security & Public Affairs

Author: Arvindar Singh

Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 818430112X

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This volume contains an anthology of writings over the last about ten years of Arvindar SinghÑa well known scribe in the journalistic circles of Uttarakhand and Delhi. The author has meticulously dealt with the topics he chose to work upon and produced writings which are of great stimulant value to a productive mind and anyone who wants to know the twists and turns in the contemporary history of the modern Indian State. Here one finds pieces on individuals as diverse as Surjit Singh Barnala, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Jaiprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai and Nani PalkhivalaÑall described in a matter befitting a work of this nature. The author does not fail to pull his punches while dealing with themes like the controversial Siachen Glacier, a historicalÊ analysis ofÊ the Indo-China dispute as well as various personal narratives which will undoubtedly appeal to the perceptive reader. Various historic personalities are dealt with at a one to one level. The characteristics of Morarji Desai known for his forthright views, the humility of Nani Palkhivala, the Žlan of Sam Manekshaw who was a born charmer, to mention a few. The writer has also reviewed a large number of books critically and his specialisations have been defence affairs and politics affecting the sub-continent among a multiplicity ofÊ subjects.

“I Have Nothing to Hide”
“I Have Nothing to Hide”

Author: Heidi Boghosian

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2021-07-13

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0807061271

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An accessible guide that breaks down the complex issues around mass surveillance and data privacy and explores the negative consequences it can have on individual citizens and their communities. No one is exempt from data mining: by owning a smartphone, or using social media or a credit card, we hand over private data to corporations and the government. We need to understand how surveillance and data collection operates in order to regain control over our digital freedoms—and our lives. Attorney and data privacy expert Heidi Boghosian unpacks widespread myths around the seemingly innocuous nature of surveillance, sets the record straight about what government agencies and corporations do with our personal data, and offers solutions to take back our information. “I Have Nothing to Hide” is both a necessary mass surveillance overview and a reference book. It addresses the misconceptions around tradeoffs between privacy and security, citizen spying, and the ability to design products with privacy protections. Boghosian breaks down misinformation surrounding 21 core myths about data privacy, including: • “Surveillance makes the nation safer.” • “No one wants to spy on kids.” • “Police don’t monitor social media.” • “Metadata doesn’t reveal much about me.” • “Congress and the courts protect us from surveillance.” • “There’s nothing I can do to stop surveillance.” By dispelling myths related to surveillance, this book helps readers better understand what data is being collected, who is gathering it, how they’re doing it, and why it matters.