by Ted Koppel
First published 2015
Ted Koppel investigates a looming threat to American infrastructure: cyberattacks targeting the nation's electrical grid. The veteran journalist reveals how hostile nations like China and Russia have already infiltrated these systems, while independent actors from hacktivists to terrorists possess similar capabilities. Koppel demonstrates that a successful assault could plunge tens of millions into darkness for weeks or months, eliminating running water, refrigeration, banking, and basic services. He exposes the federal government's shocking lack of preparation for such scenarios, contrasting official inadequacy with the elaborate preparations of Mormon communities and individual preppers. The book profiles survivalists who have built self-sufficient retreats complete with hand-crafted homes and stocked lakes, alongside the Mormon church's extensive disaster infrastructure including storehouses and trucking networks. Koppel argues this catastrophe is inevitable rather than hypothetical, supported by testimony from military commanders and former NSA scientists. The investigation reveals how a simple laptop could become a weapon capable of crippling much of America's infrastructure, leaving ordinary citizens defenseless in the aftermath.
Genres: politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: America, China, Russia
Period: 21st-century
279 pages · Hardcover · Crown
Content warnings: violence