The Geeks of War: The Secretive Labs and Brilliant Minds Behind Tomorrow's Warfare Technologies

The Geeks of War: The Secretive Labs and Brilliant Minds Behind Tomorrow's Warfare Technologies. John Edwards. AMACOM (American Management Association). 221 pages; black and white photographs; glossary; index; $24.

Some of the most critical initial steps in the weapons development process do not always occur at military research and development centers. Rather, many of those underlying technologies take shape in partnership with university research labs across the country. It is that network of cooperative academic and government research activities, which the author characterizes as "the militarytechnology matrix," that is spotlighted by The Geeks of War.

The book's title derives from the author's contention that "Within the walls of academic and government labs, highly skilled researchers (selfprofessed geeks, for the most part) are probing the edges of science to uncover technologies that promise to make warfare both more efficient and deadly."

The book provides overviews of more than 90 specific technologies under seven major topic areas created by the author: tactical systems; information systems; telecommunications, reconnaissance and disaster relief; health, medicine and biotechnology; vehicles and logistics; security and cryptography; and uniforms and protective gear.

In an apparent effort to reach a mass audience, the author tends to present the material in a relatively simplistic manner; for example, the section on tactical systems is identified as "Finding and Breaking Things."

The simplification is further evident in the book's reliance on university press releases, with several long sections rather easily identified as near verbatim copies of those releases.

The biggest weakness of this approach in presenting disparate technology overviews is that it fails to provide readers with a full appreciation for the systems that might benefit from the research. For example, one communications technology is noted as being applicable to Future Combat Systems without describing the complete nature of that umbrella effort. Likewise, the strategic vision inherent in the Navy's "Sea Power 21" is almost dismissed as "the Navy's new operational system."

For all its faults the book does provide an interesting glimpse into "The Labyrinth" behind military research and development, but those who want more than a glimpse will need to look elsewhere.

-Scott R. Gourley

© 2006 Association of the United States Army Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.