Against Security

Against Security: How We Go Wrong at Airports, Subways, and Other Sites of Ambiguous Danger
By Harvey Molotch
Published in August 2014
288 Pages
Thibault’s Score: 1/5

I 100% agree with the message, but did not finish this book. I made it maybe 20% of the way before I decided that finishing would be a waste of time.

The writing style is kind of grating. It is very academic, maybe because the author is a sociologist. He waxes poetic, muses, repeats himself, and takes a long time to get to the point. This book is opinion-heavy but fact-light; and unlike good opinion writers like Nassim Taleb, he spends way too much time pointing out the obvious.

The first chapter opens with some interesting anecdotes about the author’s 9/11 experiences, followed by random musings. The second chapter goes into the “power dynamics of public restrooms,” and talks about people’s “fears and anxieties” about using public toilets. I have no idea what he is talking about. When I need to shit, I shit in the public shitter. No anxiety, power dynamics, or bullshit. I didn’t make it to the third chapter as the first two took about 50 pages / an hour of audiobook time.

Perhaps I just didn’t like it because the more I write, the more critical I become of other’s writing styles. Perhaps I didn’t like it because it was written by someone with a fake job (sociologist). Needless to say, I don’t recommend it.

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