Download or read book Stanislav Petrov written by Matthew Rivers and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did you know that the world teetered on the brink of destruction during a fateful night on September 26, 1983? Did you know that the future of humanity was held in the hands of a single man who faced an unimaginable decision? "Stanislav Petrov: The Man Who Saved the World" is an in-depth exploration of the life of the man who single-handedly prevented a potential nuclear war, defying protocol and trusting his instincts against the chill of the Cold War paranoia. In this book, you will: Traverse the journey of Petrov's life from his humble beginnings to his rise in the Soviet military ranks, all against the backdrop of the Cold War era. Gain a detailed understanding of the infamous 1983 nuclear false alarm incident, offering a first-hand perspective of the unimaginable pressure Petrov faced. Discover the aftermath of the incident and how it affected Petrov's personal and professional life. Examine the later recognition Petrov received, painting a vivid portrait of an unsung hero in the annals of history. Explore the crucial lessons learned from Petrov's life and decision-making, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, skepticism, and moral courage. Stanislav Petrov's story is an essential part of our collective history that emphasizes the weight of individual choices, the power of skepticism, and the importance of maintaining humanity even under immense pressure. This book provides a poignant look into the past while offering critical insights that can guide us in the present. As we increasingly rely on technology in every aspect of our lives, Petrov's story also serves as a timely reminder of the irreplaceable value of human judgment. His is a tale of courage, conviction, and the profound impact one individual's decision can have on the world. "Stanislav Petrov: The Man Who Saved the World" is more than just a biography - it is a testimony to the potential within us all to shape the course of history. This is essential learning for anyone interested in history, critical thinking, and the future of global security.

Download or read book The Red Button written by and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Red Button is a 52-minute documentary film that tells the dramatic story of Stanislav Petrov, the Russian officer who, in 1983, saved the world from atomic war. During the early '80s, the Russian leader was Jurij Andropov, the most right-wing Soviet leader since Stalin. A known hardliner, Andropov was very wary of US activity. It was an intense period of time in the relationship between the United States and Russia. Tensions were running high between the two superpowers, and the atmosphere was suspicious because of recent incidents. On September 5th, a Korean jet liner with 269 passengers, many of whom were American, had been shot down over Soviet territory because the Russians believed it was a spy mission. The action led Reagan to label Russia an “evil empire.” Soon after, the KGB communicated to the western operatives to prepare for possible nuclear war. It is now thought that throughout 1983, the Kremlin assumed that the US and its allies were planning a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union. So it was in this tense environment that Stanislav Petrov worked deep inside Serpukhov-15, a secret bunker, monitoring early warning satellites.. The Red Button reviews Petrov's role in the autumn equinox nuclear scare, discusses the repercussions of the event, and analyzes possible ways to prevent similar mistakes. By telling the story of this unsung hero's life, this documentary will bring important issues about international security to light. Although this film is international in its perspective, the subject matter is very close to American audiences. The subject matter confronts the most vital and important themes for current security issues - for America as well as the rest of the world.

Download or read book The War of Nerves written by Martin Sixsmith and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-07-05 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major new history of the Cold War that explores the conflict through the minds of the people who lived through it. More than any other conflict, the Cold War was fought on the battlefield of the human mind. And, nearly thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its legacy still endures—not only in our politics, but in our own thoughts and fears. Drawing on a vast array of untapped archives and unseen sources, Martin Sixsmith vividly recreates the tensions and paranoia of the Cold War, framing it for the first time from a psychological perspective. Revisiting towering, unique personalities like Khrushchev, Kennedy, and Nixon, as well as the lives of the unknown millions who were caught up in the conflict, this is a gripping narrative of the paranoia of the Cold War—and in today's uncertain times, this story is more resonant than ever.

Download or read book The Dead Hand written by David Hoffman and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2010-08-03 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The first full account of how the Cold War arms race finally came to a close, this riveting narrative history sheds new light on the people who struggled to end this era of massive overkill, and examines the legacy of the nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that remain a threat today. Drawing on memoirs, interviews in both Russia and the US, and classified documents from deep inside the Kremlin, David E. Hoffman examines the inner motives and secret decisions of each side and details the deadly stockpiles that remained unsecured as the Soviet Union collapsed. This is the fascinating story of how Reagan, Gorbachev, and a previously unheralded collection of scientists, soldiers, diplomats, and spies changed the course of history.

Download or read book Risk written by General Stanley McChrystal and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of Team of Teams and My Share of the Task, an entirely new way to understand risk and master the unknown. Retired four-star general Stan McChrystal has lived a life associated with the deadly risks of combat. From his first day at West Point, to his years in Afghanistan, to his efforts helping business leaders navigate a global pandemic, McChrystal has seen how individuals and organizations fail to mitigate risk. Why? Because they focus on the probability of something happening instead of the interface by which it can be managed. In this new book, General McChrystal offers a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk. Instead of defining risk as a force to predict, McChrystal and coauthor Anna Butrico show that there are in fact ten dimensions of control we can adjust at any given time. By closely monitoring these controls, we can maintain a healthy Risk Immune System that allows us to effectively anticipate, identify, analyze, and act upon the ever-present possibility that things will not go as planned. Drawing on examples ranging from military history to the business world, and offering practical exercises to improve preparedness, McChrystal illustrates how these ten factors are always in effect, and how by considering them, individuals and organizations can exert mastery over every conceivable sort of risk that they might face. We may not be able to see the future, but with McChrystal’s hard-won guidance, we can improve our resistance and build a strong defense against what we know—and what we don't.

Download or read book Unruly Figures written by Valorie C. Clark and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2024-03-05 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating look at the lives of twenty rebels and rule-breakers throughout history and what made their contributions to society—in science, politics, art, and more—transformative. By the author and host of the popular Unruly Figures Substack newsletter and podcast. Unruly Figures gives you access to the lives and often untold stories of twenty of history's most fascinating individuals. Of all the rebels and revolutionaries who have acted around the world, these are often overlooked. Whether they are a bit familiar or entirely new to you, each of these historical figures provides a vivid example of what it means to live life on one's own terms and have a lasting influence on society. In the first collection of its kind, spotlighting a young historian's fresh view on unheralded rebels, these characters' true stories are brought to life through enthralling narratives of their feats and an original illustration of each. Even those whose names are recognizable—like Jonas Salk—have moments of rebellion that are largely left out of their histories. The diverse cast of unruly figures profiled includes: Kandake Amanirenas, queen of the Kingdom of Kush (modern-day Sudan), who led an army against the invading Romans Manuela Sáenz, revolutionary from Ecuador and collaborator and lover of Simón Bolívar Henry Dunant, Swiss humanitarian and founder of the Red Cross Elaine Sturtevant, known as Sturtevant, a misunderstood American artist who took appropriation and pop art to new heights Dive into this collection of hidden history tales—those of scientists, artists, revolutionaries, activists, heirs to thrones, and so many more—and you are guaranteed to be inspired by how they lived on their own unconventional terms.

Download or read book The Father of Octopus Wrestling written by Frankie McMillan and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darkly comic, surreal and full of perceptiveness about human vulnerability and eccentricity, Frankie McMillan's small fictions often duck and dive away from the reader's expectations. With a poet's sense of how single words or phrases ripple out with alternate meanings, and a dramatist's feeling for how apparently small gestures reveal character, and how sudden, cataclysmic change can wrench us out of comfort, routine and unthinking assumptions, the author leaves us ransacking the language for finer genre definitions. This collection teems with both the animal world and a vivid circus of quirky human individuals. The pieces globe-trot all over the planet: from Russia to America to New Zealand; and yet often their piquant wisdom comes from how they bear down into 'micro-geography' of intimate relationships: the troughs, peaks, cliff-sides, the warm, still pools of recognition. Frankie McMillan is like a quietly outrageous Zen master, showing us human folly and idiocy, steering us carefully over the dark river of vulnerability that swells under it all. 'The Father of Octopus Wrestling, and other small fictions' is an artisan production, designed and printed by Ilam Press, Ilam School of Fine Arts.

Download or read book Enough Blood Shed written by Mary-Wynne Ashford and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enough Blood Shed confronts the reality of a world awash in weapons and the belief that war is inevitable, with people powerless to change the system. It provides an alternative perspective based on solutions known to be successful because they have been used already. The first part of the book describes the culture of violence that has led the world to this precipice of hopelessness, and then points to signs of hope that a different future is possible. It outlines the steps being made to build a culture of peace, including the phenomenal power of civil society: the second superpower - or the conscience of society. Part Two then focuses on the solutions that are possible for all sectors of society: For individuals, including women, children and youth For schools, educators, activist groups and religious organizations For the media, professionals, business and labor For cities, nations and the global community Focusing on the power of ordinary people to make a difference and packed with effective nonviolent success stories - often in a setting of hate and provocation - the book provides guidance, inspiration, hope and empowerment that peace is not only possible, but can be fun along the way.

Download or read book The Brink written by Marc Ambinder and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An informative and often enthralling book…in the appealing style of Tom Clancy” (Kirkus Reviews) about the 1983 war game that triggered a tense, brittle period of nuclear brinkmanship between the United States and the former Soviet Union. What happened in 1983 to make the Soviet Union so afraid of a potential nuclear strike from the United States that they sent mobile ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) into the field, placing them on a three-minute alert Marc Ambinder explains the anxious period between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1982 to 1984, with the “Able Archer ’83” war game at the center of the tension. With astonishing and clarifying new details, he recounts the scary series of the close encounters that tested the limits of ordinary humans and powerful leaders alike. Ambinder provides a comprehensive and chilling account of the nuclear command and control process, from intelligence warnings to the composition of the nuclear codes themselves. And he affords glimpses into the secret world of a preemptive electronic attack that scared the Soviet Union into action. Ambinder’s account reads like a thriller, recounting the spy-versus-spy games that kept both countries—and the world—in check. From geopolitics in Moscow and Washington, to sweat-caked soldiers fighting in the trenches of the Cold War, to high-stakes war games across NATO and the Warsaw Pact, “Ambinder’s account of a serious threat of global annihilation…is spellbinding…a masterpiece of recent history” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). The Brink serves as the definitive intelligence, nuclear, and national security history of one of the most precarious times in recent memory and “shows the consequences of nuclear buildups, sometimes-careless language, and nervous leaders. Now, more than ever, those consequences matter” (USA TODAY).

Download or read book Behavioral Economics and Nuclear Weapons written by Anne I. Harrington and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2019 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent discoveries in psychology and neuroscience have improved our understanding of why our decision making processes fail to match standard social science assumptions about rationality. As researchers such as Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky, and Richard Thaler have shown, people often depart in systematic ways from the predictions of the rational actor model of classic economic thought because of the influence of emotions, cognitive biases, an aversion to loss, and other strong motivations and values. These findings about the limits of rationality have formed the basis of behavioral economics, an approach that has attracted enormous attention in recent years. This collection of essays applies the insights of behavioral economics to the study of nuclear weapons policy. Behavioral economics gives us a more accurate picture of how people think and, as a consequence, of how they make decisions about whether to acquire or use nuclear arms. Such decisions are made in real-world circumstances in which rational calculations about cost and benefit are intertwined with complicated emotions and subject to human limitations. Strategies for pursuing nuclear deterrence and nonproliferation should therefore, argue the contributors, account for these dynamics in a systematic way. The contributors to this collection examine how a behavioral approach might inform our understanding of topics such as deterrence, economic sanctions, the nuclear nonproliferation regime, and U.S. domestic debates about ballistic missile defense. The essays also take note of the limitations of a behavioral approach for dealing with situations in which even a single deviation from the predictions of any model can have dire consequences.

Download or read book Restricted Data written by Alex Wellerstein and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2021-04-09 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Nuclear weapons, since their conception, have been the subject of secrecy. In the months after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the American scientific establishment, the American government, and the American public all wrestled with what was called the "problem of secrecy," wondering not only whether secrecy was appropriate and effective as a means of controlling this new technology but also whether it was compatible with the country's core values. Out of a messy context of propaganda, confusion, spy scares, and the grave counsel of competing groups of scientists, what historian Alex Wellerstein calls a "new regime of secrecy" was put into place. It was unlike any other previous or since. Nuclear secrets were given their own unique legal designation in American law ("restricted data"), one that operates differently than all other forms of national security classification and exists to this day. Drawing on massive amounts of declassified files, including records released by the government for the first time at the author's request, Restricted Data is a narrative account of nuclear secrecy and the tensions and uncertainty that built as the Cold War continued. In the US, both science and democracy are pitted against nuclear secrecy, and this makes its history uniquely compelling and timely"--

Download or read book The Control Paradox written by Ezio Di Nucci and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-12-04 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is technological innovation spinning out of control? During a one-week period in 2018, social media was revealed to have had huge undue influence on the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the first fatality from a self-driving car was recorded. What’s paradoxical about the understandable fear of machines taking control through software, robots, and artificial intelligence is that new technology is often introduced in order to increase our control of a certain task. This is what Ezio Di Nucci calls the “control paradox.” Di Nucci also brings this notion to bear on politics: we delegate power and control to political representatives in order to improve democratic governance. However, recent populist uprisings have shown that voters feel disempowered and neglected by this system. This lack of direct control within representative democracies could be a motivating factor for populism, and Di Nucci argues that a better understanding of delegation is a possible solution.

Download or read book Nuclear Papers written by David Owen and published by Liverpool University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely book, published in advance of 2010's inter-governmental Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, makes available for the first time newly declassified government correspondence from David Owen's tenure as Foreign Secretary. Nuclear Papers gives new insight into the work of, and response to, the last major strategic nuclear study of the UK's nuclear needs, which was undertaken in 1978. The book demonstrates sustained dialogue between the Callaghan and Carter administrations on the one hand but also the internal disputes and concerns of the UK government as the Cold War and a bleak economic outlook exerted equal pressures, in much the same way as recent foreign policy and the economic downturn have challenged the current government. Owen skilfully ties the events of 30 years ago to the present, highlighting Barack Obama's determination to "show the world that America believes in its existing commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to work ultimately to eliminate all nuclear arms". As ever, David Owen is at the forefront of debate, arguing convincingly that momentum should be established towards the elimination of nuclear weapons by all five of the existing declared nuclear weapon states before the 2010 NPT Review Conference gets underway. This book, then, is an attempt to rejuvenate and expand discussions of the future of the world's nuclear weapons by exploring the classified and highly sensitive debates of the past. It will be required reading for anyone interested in UK and US nuclear policy.

Download or read book Lessons from History written by Alex Deane and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History is full to the brim with untold tales of heroics and villainy, gruesome battles, hilarious happenings and downright bizarre coincidences. Meet the war veteran who lost an eye and amputated his own fingers. Discover the original Die Hards, whose bravery would put even Bruce Willis to shame. Just who stole the still-missing Irish crown jewels and how did Adeline, Countess of Cardigan, scandalise society so completely? In Lessons from History, Alex Deane takes us on an uproarious romp through the tales you didn't hear at school. With stories ranging from the little-known characters who played their vital parts in the world's most famous wars to the remarkable adventures of figures across the centuries, to events so extraordinary as to be almost – almost – unbelievable, this book proves that fact is almost always wilder than fiction. Bringing these stories joyfully and often poignantly back to life, Deane finally shines a light on the tales lost to history, and on what we might learn from them today.

Download or read book Secrets from the Black Vault written by John Greenewald, Jr. and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-04-15 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What happens when the history books are wrong? The United States Government wants you to not question the narrative that, in some cases, has been written by them for more than a century. But sometimes, real facts emerge from declassified documents that challenge what you thought you knew. This book dissects some of the most amazing declassified documents that have changed the history of the world and our perception of it. With each turn of the page, Secrets from The Black Vault reveals declassified programs and formerly top secret illustrations that detail an Air Force’s secret plan to build a Mach 4 flying saucer; the Department of Defense’s plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the surface of the moon; the use of psychic spies within the CIA; how an unidentified object almost sparked World War III; and much more. Declassified documents within The Black Vault play a crucial role in understanding the inner workings of America’s top secret agendas.

Download or read book Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism in the Post 9 11 World written by David Hafemeister and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book fills a clear gap in the literature for a technically-focused book covering nuclear proliferation and related issues post-9/11. Using a concept-led approach which serves a broad readership, it provides detailed overview of nuclear weapons, nuclear proliferation and international nuclear policy. The author addresses topics including offensive and defensive missile systems, command and control, verification, weapon effects, and nuclear testing. A chronology of nuclear arms is presented including detailed discussion of the Cold War, proliferation, and arms control treaties. The book is tailored to courses on nuclear proliferation, and the general reader will also find it a fascinating introduction to the science and strategy behind international nuclear policy in the modern era.

Download or read book Asia s New Geopolitics written by Michael R. Auslin and published by Hoover Press. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Indo-Pacific is fast becoming the world's dominant region. As it grows in power and wealth, geopolitical competition has reemerged, threatening future stability not merely in Asia but around the globe. China is aggressive and uncooperative, and increasingly expects the world to bend to its wishes. The focus on Sino-US competition for global power has obscured "Asia's other great game": the rivalry between Japan and China. A modernizing India risks missing out on the energies and talents of millions of its women, potentially hampering the broader role it can play in the world. And in North Korea, the most frightening question raised by Kim Jong-un's pursuit of the ultimate weapon is also the simplest: can he control his nukes? In Asia's New Geopolitics: Essays on Reshaping the Indo-Pacific, Michael R. Auslin examines these and other key issues transforming the Indo-Pacific and the broader world. He also explores the history of American strategy in Asia from the 18th century through today. Taken together, Auslin's essays convey the richness and diversity of the region: with more than three billion people, the Indo-Pacific contains over half of the global population, including the world's two most populous nations: India and China. In a riveting final chapter, Auslin imagines a war between America and China in a bid for regional hegemony and what this conflict might look like.