Customer Reviews

Critical Infrastructure Protection in Homeland Security: Defending a Networked Nation

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am in the military and have an engineering background. I have also been conducting research that is closely related to the topic of this book for the past few years and this is a sacred text to me! If you are looking for a laundry list/ cookie cutter approach to a very complex problem, you probably don't want to buy this book. However, even though it is rather technical (the author has a background in computer science and mathematics, so as long as you do your homework on the author, this shouldn't surprise anyone), one can skip the technical discussion on optimization techniques, reliability theory, and network (critical node) analysis and still follow the plainly written examples without a loss of continuity. I just wish our policy-makers adhered to the guidance contained within the pages of Dr. Lewis' book on a more consistent basis... Bottom line: Find the "critical nodes" in an infrastructure sector (which Lewis helps you do) and apply resources (time, people, $$$) accordingly (Lewis also helps you do this).

I wish there was a score lower than 1 star to give.

First of all, let me say that there is valuable information in this book, if you are willing to sift the chaff for wheat.

However comma this book (as is admitted in the forward) was only written so the author could keep his job. And it shows.

The author contradicts himself, is overly complex when explaining things (why explain it to the reader when you can use overly difficult math instead?), and doesn't even provide answers to the questions posed in the end of chapter sections. When I say doesn't provide them, he wouldn't even give them to his publisher, I checked.

So, if you have the time to sift and decipher, this is the book for you, If not then I would recommend that you keep searching elsewhere for CIP information, my friend.

I used this book for a graduate course through the University of Washington. I purchased it new and used the CD in the back for my class. The course's reading schedule did not comprise the whole book (excluded some two or three chapters), but covered enough of it that I feel justified in posting my opinions about it here.

First, the book is in strong need of an editorial review. Grammatical errors and contradictory statements run throughout the book. It seems as though the material was put together rather quickly and little to no effort was spent giving it a professional appearance or delivery.

Second, the author fails to provide sources for many of the things he includes in the book. (To give him credit, all quotes and direct references were given citations.) I can handle a lack of sources to an extent, but have a difficult time accepting that a Computer Scientist has the requisite knowledge of, say economics, to pontificate and exrapolate his books principles across multiple fields of study. Also, the lack of sources means that the author left his book without any anchors for context in the greater scheme of critical infrastucture protection, homeland security, and emergency management.

Third, the questions at the end of each chapter are in need of a *serious* overhaul. Not only are they incredibly ambiguous, but there were several instances where the answer to a question was found in a succeeding chapter. I have no problem with questions referencing material already covered, but it goes against reason to ask questions regarding material that has not yet been covered.

Fourth, the programs provided on the CD, and which are meant to aid the student in applying the principles of the book, are buggy. (Which is interesting, considering the author is a computer programmer ... but anyway.) Once again, it seems as though the author was more interested in putting the book on the shelves than on ensuring that his material was coherent, cogent, and professionally finished.

Now for some positives:

The overall premise of the book is sound. For those with any familiarity with the government's funding mechanism vis-a-vis homeland security, the author's argument for identifying and hardening CI hubs is extraordinarily poignant. Looking past all of the book's faults, and they are many, government officials would do well to learn from Lewis's call for more scientific rigor in how the country goes about protecting itself.

I do not doubt that the author knows what he is talking about. However, unless you have a strong background in math, engineering, or computer science, many of the underlying principles will be lost on you, except in a most rudimentary manner.

What further complicates the book is that there are no readily available answers for the quizzes in the book. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, except that many of the answers are either debatable, or are so close to each other that the question has to be very precisely parsed and considered.

The single most useful addition that Dr. Lewis includes, however, is a tacit and explained understanding for the "political" side of things. Yes there is a more efficient way of doing this analysis (which he presents), but he also presents the "political reality" tools as well. It is something that I have rarely seen acknowledged and dealt with, and for that alone this book is worth reading.

It is not an easy book (neither extremely complicated), but protecting the National Infrastructure is not supposed to be easy.

With a scientific approach based in probability analysis (hence the "complicated math") Dr. Lewis gives a non political framework for the discipline of Critical infrastructure protection. For those that are looking for a neocon best seller, this is not your book. It is an academic work that launches the debate about how to protect the north American infrastructure, and in fact, any network.

to be honest am a bit dissatisfied. not with amazon but the fact that the book had stuff written all over at the end of each chapter over the exercises and at places within the chapter pages too with an orange marker not even a pencil. this was not mentioned anywhere in the description. it did come in time though and no other tears etc on it. but the orange marks with bad handwriting take away the rating!!