The Alan B. Krueger book is the first study on economics and roots of terrorism.
The first chapter try to describe who has become a terrorist, starting from a few examples from recents studies on people perception to Palestinian attacks in Germany, Israeli persons that had become combatant in an extremist group or the origins of IRA in Northern Ireland group as it has moved first steps. Many tables are included.
The second chapter summarize the evidence taken from the origins of terrorists: nationality, cultural backgrounds, schooling, income of peoples in some correlation to pointed out that civil liberties are intertwined with nations subject of attacks, perhaps the most evidence that resist until today 8 years after this printed edition. The nations with more civil liberties are the best target of terrorist although they are in large part stricken from high-income persons, the better educated elite of their country, because as described in Question-Answer in appendix, the terrorist see this as the object for gain a broader range of persons to their cause, without count of the mortality; then I can affirm perhaps it could be the most dangerous effect in a long term view, if no one solution can be reached as in the case of IS actually show.
Chapter 3, put on focus the effects, how terror can accomplish the subversion of current system, via media (television and biggest today internet), but in economy mainly. The economy that is damaged and dangerous when we think of the impossibility to checking all the weapons around the globe that exponentially today and much more in future can cause casualties. Not only this, the welfare state is under attack as part of rights system (pensions cuts), when we start to recognize that most of our public spending go to defensive measures, by limiting our liberties and in some cases, our freedom of movement.
Small book, but anticipator of tendencies, insights that deserve to be read.
