The Future of Violence Audiobook By Benjamin Wittes, Gabriella Blum cover art

The Future of Violence

Robots and Germs, Hackers and Drones - Confronting a New Age of Threat

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Future of Violence

By: Benjamin Wittes, Gabriella Blum
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.10

Buy for $17.10

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

From drone warfare in the Middle East to digital spying by the National Security Agency, the US government has harnessed the power of cutting-edge technology to awesome effect. But what happens when ordinary people have the same tools at their fingertips? Advances in cybertechnology, biotechnology, and robotics mean that more people than ever before have access to potentially dangerous technologies - from drones to computer networks and biological agents - that could be used to attack states and private citizens alike.

In The Future of Violence, law and security experts Benjamin Wittes and Gabriella Blum detail the myriad possibilities, challenges, and enormous risks present in the modern world and argue that if our national governments can no longer adequately protect us from harm, they will lose their legitimacy. Consequently governments, companies, and citizens must rethink their security efforts to protect lives and liberty. In this brave new world where many little brothers are as menacing as any Big Brother, safeguarding our liberty and privacy may require strong domestic and international surveillance and regulatory controls. Maintaining security in this world where anyone can attack anyone requires a global perspective, with more multinational forces and greater action to protect (and protect against) weaker states that do not yet have the capability to police their own people. Drawing on political thinkers from Thomas Hobbes to the founders and beyond, Wittes and Blum show that despite recent protestations to the contrary, security and liberty are mutually supportive,and we must embrace one to ensure the other.

The Future of Violence is at once an introduction to our emerging world - one in which students can print guns with 3D printers and scientists' manipulations of viruses can be recreated and unleashed by ordinary people - and an authoritative blueprint for how government must adapt in order to survive and protect us.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.; 2015 Blackstone Audio
Civil Rights & Liberties Intelligence & Espionage National & International Security Science & Technology Security & Encryption Terrorism Violence in Society National Security Espionage War Computer Security Cyber warfare
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Future of Violence

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    77
  • 4 Stars
    63
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    76
  • 4 Stars
    62
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    65
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    36
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Informative but dry

This may be a 4 or 5 star book if you're looking for information about international law as it applies to cyberspace/technology. However, I was expecting something more like "Future Crimes" and the like so I was rather disappointed. Narration was good and it's very in depth for its topic... just not what I was looking for.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Wanted to like it more.

There was some really good material in here. Sadly, the narration was extremely distracting; everything was like an action movie trailer voice-over...without the emotion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great academic tool

It was read well. No issues with the narrator.

This is a high-value academic book discussing the social contract theory. While caged as a book about technology and emerging violence, the book focuses on a greater theoretical discussion. Specifically, it studies the issue of a government’s ability to regulate high-impact, decentralized action. Written from the cultural perspective of a U.S. theorist, it offers deep understanding of the foundational academic issues and promises significant opportunity for further research, discussion, and debate. Recommended for legal and technology students as well as anyone concerned with the regulation of emerging technologies.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

thought provoking but dry

interesting exploration of the future. very academic, and dry at times. most interesting was the examination of our existing contrasts and contradictions about the definition of privacy, and the alternate definition that they proposed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Info on Advancements in Society and Politics

If you are an academic, or teaching a course in political theory applied to a growing world of “many-to-many threats,” then this is for you. If you are a casual listener, and thought this would be an interesting listen, or read then it is not. Don’t take me wrong, there are a lot of great ideas and concepts in here to unpack, but it is dry material and not for a casual listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very thought provoking

The picture the authors paint is one we will all have to come to terms with. overall I think they do a pretty good job of raising and examining the implications of new enable technologies while not spinning with a politically motivated conclusion.
Its given me a lot to think about.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Definitely weighed my viewpoint on defense

What’s your idea I wish the guy did a little more research I still want to know what a A.R. 47 is?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

something to think on

This is a great book to think on, but I would hesitate to make it doctrine for your life. The authors pay some lip service to keeping the government out of our lives, but have fairly statist views for our planet. That's my personal belief, and I'm a gun toting hippie from Colorado that wants very very very little to do with the government.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enlightenment era governments are struggling...

Good book for those looking to see how modern governments might survive the AI and tech revolution.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Starts good...loses its way

This book really struggled to be more than what should have been a good magazine article. Started well with some interesting points... Then lost its way and became plodding. I somehow managed to finish it, but wish I hadn't. The last chapter was embarrassing in the extreme. The word 'leviathan' (yes, leviathan, lol) is used countless times and quickly becomes an annoying distraction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!