First published 2004
Jeffrey Rosen examines how America balances freedom and security after September 11th. He argues that irrational fears drive us to adopt technologies and policies that create an illusion of safety without genuine protection. Rosen travels from England to Silicon Valley, investigating why effective laws and well-designed technologies often get rejected in favor of feel-good measures. He explores how the psychology of fear influences public policy, from Code Orange alerts to airport security systems. The book shows how risk-averse Western democracies demand increasing personal exposure while citizens voluntarily share private details through web logs, chat rooms, and reality television. Rosen contends this creates a "naked crowd" where public scrutiny penetrates most aspects of life. He draws on diverse sources to demonstrate how legislators, courts, and technologists make choices that sacrifice liberty without improving security. The book offers both a warning about current responses to terrorism and a framework for better decisions that protect both safety and freedom.
Genres: american, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-issues
Setting: England, Silicon Valley
Period: September 11th
272 pages · Hardcover · Random House