Take a photo of a barcode or cover
108 reviews for:
The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States
Jeffrey Lewis
4.18 AVERAGE
108 reviews for:
The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States
Jeffrey Lewis
4.18 AVERAGE
This book is the most scary horror book i have ever read
A disturbingly believable account of what a slightly alternate universe version of 2020 might have looked like. It feels like a cross between [b:World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War|8908|World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War|Max Brooks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528312647l/8908._SX50_.jpg|817] and the [b:911 commission report|22047559|911 commission report|911 commsision|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399458609l/22047559._SX50_.jpg|41372684], being closer to reality than the former and a much more engaging and readable style than the latter. As chilling as this narrative was, it did give me the moment of relief that the disaster of a year that 2020 is for us here in the United State of America, it is not the worst possible reality, even when constrained to the realm of the plausible. That is cold comfort, but we must take comfort where we can find it.
The report was well written and quite an engaging listen. Perhaps it can serve as a lesson to many not just of how close to the brink we may be standing, but also of all the many fold ways that the intricate systems to prevent such a disaster are fragile and subject to failures both systematic and human.
The report was well written and quite an engaging listen. Perhaps it can serve as a lesson to many not just of how close to the brink we may be standing, but also of all the many fold ways that the intricate systems to prevent such a disaster are fragile and subject to failures both systematic and human.
The Little Rocketman version of the 1962 novel, Fail Safe. Apart from touches of TDS, a good read about what happens if the fat finger pushes the red button.
This was an interesting read. I had just finished Steven Johnson's Farsighted, which is an interesting book about decision making. This book fit perfectly with that theme because it represents a "premortem" or an example of what could have happened based on a decision before you make the decision.
This book is a cautionary tale about what could happen if a series of split second decisions fed by inaccurate information cause a nuclear war between South Korea, North Korea, The US, and Japan. The results are devastating to all countries involved. Millions of people die, the N. Korean regime is wiped out, and Trump is impeached but acquitted by the Senate.
I saw a number of reviews that argued this book was an anti-Trump screed. I don't think that's the case. This book references tweets from Trump himself and uses language in the style of what Trump would or could say in a given situation. While some of the portrayal is comical if you do not like Trump, it fits his personality well. In fact, I think that the scene where he learns Melania's fate is pretty generous to him when it easily could have been used to mock Trump.
During a section with interviews of survivors I was a little confused by the phrasing of the quotes. In most cases it didn't feel like a native English speaker had been interviewed, even though the quotes were supposed to be from Americans. It turns out there is a good reason for this. They were real quotes from Hiroshima survivors. Which gives them a great deal of credibility and weight.
We should not take nuclear war lightly. This book provides context for why we should not do so. Nuclear war would be catastrophic. Furthermore, the book highlights the fact that nuclear weapons themselves aren't much of a deterrent when there's a leader that believes that people are out to kill him and his family and acts in the most extreme, yet rational way, to protect his life and that of his family.
This book is a cautionary tale about what could happen if a series of split second decisions fed by inaccurate information cause a nuclear war between South Korea, North Korea, The US, and Japan. The results are devastating to all countries involved. Millions of people die, the N. Korean regime is wiped out, and Trump is impeached but acquitted by the Senate.
I saw a number of reviews that argued this book was an anti-Trump screed. I don't think that's the case. This book references tweets from Trump himself and uses language in the style of what Trump would or could say in a given situation. While some of the portrayal is comical if you do not like Trump, it fits his personality well. In fact, I think that the scene where he learns Melania's fate is pretty generous to him when it easily could have been used to mock Trump.
During a section with interviews of survivors I was a little confused by the phrasing of the quotes. In most cases it didn't feel like a native English speaker had been interviewed, even though the quotes were supposed to be from Americans. It turns out there is a good reason for this. They were real quotes from Hiroshima survivors. Which gives them a great deal of credibility and weight.
We should not take nuclear war lightly. This book provides context for why we should not do so. Nuclear war would be catastrophic. Furthermore, the book highlights the fact that nuclear weapons themselves aren't much of a deterrent when there's a leader that believes that people are out to kill him and his family and acts in the most extreme, yet rational way, to protect his life and that of his family.
Oh man. So topical & plausible. So frightening. Hope it stays speculative. Amen.
This is a fantastic book, with a well thought out plot grounded in facts, and it is that which puts the icing on the cake for me.
This book was quite terrifying in terms of its realism, but I thought it lacked the level of detail (and quality of writing) to be truly great. I'd just as soon read the actual 9/11 Commission report, or other similar documents that this book is modeled after. Actually, just read this history of being aboard Air Force One during 9/11.
With that said, I'd recommend if you are at all intersted in nuclear policy and the mechanics of government disaster response.
With that said, I'd recommend if you are at all intersted in nuclear policy and the mechanics of government disaster response.
Since this book does try to resemble a Commission Report, it was a little dry (although not nearly as dry as a real report). It's gripping because it feels so plausible and real -- terrifyingly so.