​By Charna R. Epstein, Ameya Pawar, and Scott C. Simon. CRC Press; crcpress.com; 248 pages; $89.95

Examining emergency management through a variety of lenses and challenging the reader to think profoundly, Emergency Management and Social Intelligence: A Comprehensive All-Hazards Approach is a book for anyone in the security field, from seasoned pros who could use a fresh perspective to those just starting out.

Through the dissection of major disasters via case studies, the authors look back and identify shared, preexisting, preventable conditions that compounded the damage. The historical and social context helps the reader see how to gauge potential damage from a disaster before it happens.

The authors explore the ways disasters impact socio-economic systems. They touch on societal values and the preconceived notions that the value of a person or group drives actual policy decisions. This allows the reader to further explore the arena of social intelligence and use that intelligence to make decisions during and even before a disaster.

The implementation strategies outlined in the book provide a roadmap on how to capitalize on social intelligence, emergency management resources, and baseline data points to achieve successful planning for emergencies.

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Reviewer: Brian T. Doyle is global account operations director for G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc., and serves on the ASIS Security Services Committee and the ASIS Security Officer Standards and Guidelines Subcommittee. He is also a member of InfraGard.