Betting on America: Why the US Can Be Stronger After September 11 [Hardcover]

James W. Cortada (Author), Edward Wakin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002

The immediate and horrible shock of 9/11 has passed, but Americans are still asking fundamental questions about what the terrorist attacks will mean to their future. In Betting on America, one of the nation's leading historians places the events of 9/11 in the perspective of America's history, offering a thoughtful, realistic, and ultimately optimistic vision of America's new future. The authors find in American history one lesson, repeated again and again: when we are challenged, we find deeper strength and better leadership than we ever expected, and take our country to a better place than we ever thought possible. James W. Cortada and Ed Wakin place the events of 9/11 in deep historical context, and teach the lessons that America's history has to offer us right now. They remind us of moments like Pearl Harbor and Fort Sumter: the immediate traumas, the national mobilizations that followed them, and the ways in which these events transformed the nation -- ultimately, for the better. He sheds new light on the questions that are agonizing Americans now: Will we ever feel safe again? Will we ever regain the freedoms we're surrendering? Why did this happen, and what do the reasons tell us about how we must respond? When we look at the changes that 9/11 has wrought, what new opportunities can we find -- as individuals, and as citizens?

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper."

—Franklin D. Roosevelt

An Homage to the Great American Spirit

The immediate, horrible shock of 9-11 is now behind us, even though we remember the shock all too well. But Americans are still asking fundamental questions about what terrorist attacks will mean to their lives, their families, their nation. Betting on America places the events of 9-11 in historical context, offering a thoughtful, realistic, and ultimately optimistic vision of America's new future.

The authors find in American history one lesson, repeated again and again: when we are challenged, we find the strengths and the leadership that enable us to prevail. They remind us of moments like Fort Sumter and Pearl Harbor: the immediate traumas, the national mobilization that followed, and the ways national crises like these challenged the United States to achievements that were previously unimaginable.

Along the way, the authors shed new light on the questions that are agonizing Americans: Will we ever feel safe again? Why did this happen? What do the reasons behind terrorism tell us about how we must respond? And what new and hopeful opportunities can we find in the tragedy of 9-11—both as individuals and as citizens?

* The bumpy road to a new normalcy

First, shock; then uncertainty; then an unshakeable determination to move forward

* A celebration of the American spirit

Unleashing the enormous energy of our restless and bold people

* Post-9-11 personal decisions: looking forward with realism, courage, and hope

Making wise decisions, taking sound precautions

* "Let's roll": leadership with a bias toward action

What we need from our leaders now

* Leveraging the awesome power of American initiative

The lessons of history: empowering Americans to respond personally

* The new realities of globalization, decentralization, and technological revolution

Recognizing the profound changes that have been developing for years

* New technology: problem, solution, neither, or both?

Will 9/11 accelerate and deepen the Information Revolution?

* The worldly American

Bringing the affairs of the world into our daily lives

"As we gather tonight, our nation is at war, our economy is in recession, and the civilized world faces unprecedented dangers. Yet the state of our Union has never been stronger."

President George W. Bush
State of the Union speech,
January 29, 2002

After 9/11: a realistic, optimistic vision of America's future.

• 9-11 in its long-term perspective: what we must know, what we must do
• A nation forged in crisis: the positive lessons of American history
• Unleashing the enormous energy of the American people
• Resilient new ways of thinking, feeling, and acting in a new age of uncertainty
• Creative public policies for building a stronger, safer nation—and world
• Surviving the recession, renewing the economy

The world has changed. Betting on America tells us what the changes mean. It's the first book to bring the perspective of history to the tragic events of 9-11 and to offer a clear path forward—for us as individuals and as a nation.

James W. Cortada and Edward Wakin examine the long-term impact of 9-11 at every level, from our most private personal relationships to the choices we make as a society, as we seek to respond to new threats without compromising our most cherished values.

Time after time, when faced with the most profound challenges, this great nation and people have responded with a unique genius for further greatness. Now that we are called to respond again, Betting on America shows us how the lessons of history can help us act more wisely, more realistically, and with greater confidence. Let's roll.

About the Author

JAMES W. CORTADA, an Executive at IBM, is a leading authority on the use, management, and history of information technology. His most recent books include 21st Century Business: Managing and Working in the New Digital Economy; Into the Network Age: How IBM and Other Companies Are Getting There Now; The Rise of the Knowledge Worker; and Making the Information Society: Experience, Consequences, and Possibilities (Prentice Hall PTR).

Together with Professor Alfred D. Chandler, Cortada edited A Nation Transformed: How Information Shaped the United States from Colonial Times to the Present. He is Chairman of the Charles Babbage Foundation at the University of Minnesota, and holds a Ph.D. in modern history from Florida State University.

EDWARD WAKIN, professor of communications at Fordham University, has authored or co-authored more than 20 books and scores of magazine articles on social and business issues. His "Professional Edge" column was awarded first place in its category by the American Society of Business Press Editors in 1998. A past winner of the George Polk award "for distinguished achievements in journalism," he has served as education editor for WCBS-TV News and as an editor at The Wall Street Journal and the New York World Telegram. He has earned graduate degrees from Northwestern and Columbia Universities and a Ph.D. from Fordham University in sociology.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130460788
• ISBN-13: 978-0130460783
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,573,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was trained as an historian with a Ph.D. in modern history, but have spent nearly 40 years at IBM in sales and consulting and am the author of a dozen books on European history and two dozen on the history of information technologies and another dozen on business management. My interests are largely around the role of information in moder societies: use, managemnt, and history. I am currently writing a global history of how computing spread around the world so fast and am publishing a book on how historians think with a lot of my experiences, called Hunting for History. I just did a book on the role of information as THE thing businesses do, make, and worry about, called Information and the Modern Corporation. It was a lot of fun to write and is intended for everyone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where do we go from here?, May 21, 2002

By 

R. Hammock "RH in CT" (Stamford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Betting on America: Why the US Can Be Stronger After September 11 (Hardcover)

Anyone living in America has experienced firsthand the short-term changes caused by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. But what about the longer-term changes? What can we expect, and how will it affect our lives? Betting on America offers a lucid, thoughtful scenario of life in the months, and years ahead. The authors include a historic perspective in showing us how we can individually, and collectively, become stronger, more secure, in dealing with the future. America has always had a strong resolve; Messrs Cortada and Wakin help us understand why. A must buy book for anyone interested in knowing where we go from here.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ, TIMELY BOOK, May 20, 2002

By 

tom callahan (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Betting on America: Why the US Can Be Stronger After September 11 (Hardcover)

This is a timely and important book. Written in a clear and lively style, "Betting on America" is the first book to put the horror of September 11th into its historical context. But most crucial in these uncertain times, this work reminds us of how American has always endured in the past and will endure now. The changes we now face will not only help us prevail, but help us to rise to a new level of greatness as a people and a nation. A must read for all concerned Americans

5.0 out of 5 stars "Betting on America" is a sure bet to become a bestseller, May 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Betting on America: Why the US Can Be Stronger After September 11 (Hardcover)

The war against terrorism has spawned countless commentaries, but this intelligent, insightful, inspiring book stands out from the crowd. Instead of more rage and mere rhetoric, it offers much reason. Like its upbeat title, the book captures America's can-do spirit and offers must-do advice on how we can rise to these challenges and ultimately triumph. The authors make a clear, compelling case for why America has always been the odds-on favorite against its foes. When it comes to life-and-death struggles between good and evil, history shows that betting on America is really no gamble at all.