Wired for War, P. W. Singer
Wired for War, P. W. Singer
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Wired for War
The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century

Author: P. W. Singer

Narrator: William Hughes

Unabridged: 20 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/07/2010


Synopsis

A military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself. Singers previous books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldierspredictions that have proved all too accurate. Now he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: robotic warfare. We are now seeing a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator a reality. Over seven thousand robotic systems are now in Iraq; pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan; scientists are debating just how smartand lethalto make their current prototypes; and many renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon. Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on both the front lines and the politics back home. Replacing men with machines may save some lives but will lower morale and psychological barriers to killing. The warrior ethos, which has long defined soldiers identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations. Paradoxically, the new technology will also bring war to our doorstep. As other nations and terrorist organizations obtain their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine Americas military preeminence. While his analysis is unnerving, theres an irresistible geewhiz quality to the innovations Singer uncovers. Wired for War travels from Iraq and Afghanistan, where these machines are now fighting, to modernday skunk works in the midst of suburbia, where tomorrows technologies of war are quietly being designed. In Singers hands, the future of war is as fascinating as it is frightening.

About P. W. Singer

P. W. Singer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has worked in the Pentagon and consulted for the departments of Defense and State, the CIA, and Congress. The author of several books, he has also written for such publications as the New York Times and Foreign Affairs.


Reviews

The visionary extrapolations of the author are bit by bit coming true in each second technology evolves closer to war without human fighters. Singer describes the coming and already there development in convincing and fact-based words that will inevitably lead to a humanless war and his predictions......more

Goodreads review by Stew

What sets this book apart from the usual policy wonk books that come out of Washington, D.C. think tanks is that Singer is actually a good writer and has a style that engages the reader and draws them into the topic. Policy shops send me dozens of military books every year that are unreadable. This i......more

Goodreads review by Lucas

I was hoping Wired For War to read like a Lawrence Lessig book, where conceptions that were vague in my own mind before starting would be rendered crystal clear in the text. It's worth reading but not up to that level- his main offering is that things are changing and the right people aren't paying......more

Goodreads review by Shoti

Sadly, it's not only robots which are wired for war. Humans too. As Singer rightfully puts it, one of the original sins of our species is its inability to live at peace. However, the worst nightmare of any democratically elected politician is going to war that may result in lots of human casualties.......more