Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs) Paperback – July 7, 2011

This book is very insightful and still very relevant eight years later. The predictions that Koblentz makes on biotechnology are spot on. Great information throughout. There is something in it for all levels of biodefense readers--from beginners to experts. The discussions on UNSCOM are enlightening (Chapter 2). Discussions on biological terrorism are also quite interesting (Chapter 5).

"Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security" is a very well documented text describing the successes/failures of verification, oversight and the intelligence of biological weapons issues. The first chapter "Offense, defense, and deterrence" discusses the characteristics of biological weapons (microorganisms and toxins) from the United States, Soviet Union and Iraq perspectives. The paradox of biological weapons is well stated on page 42 "The secrecy required to retain the element of surprise in a biological attack reduces a state's ability to issue credible threats to inflict unacceptable damage against an adversary". Chapter two "Verification" discusses the problems of knowing who has what biological weapon and where is it. Chapter three, "Oversight" portrays a scary world when the leaders of the various countries are mislead as to the status of their country's biological weapon inventory. Chapter four, "Intelligence" was an eye-opener to me. I was surprised to learn how little the US knew of Soviet, South African and Iraq biological weapons programs. Chapter five "Biological terrorism" discusses the history of biological weapons. This chapter concludes with the ominous statement that long-term prospects of bioterrorism are "worrisome." The "Conclusion" has as its explicit goal of "Reducing the danger posed by biological weapons." This book, while not an easy read, was very informative and worth reading.

Dr. Koblentz's book gives a very honest and real depiction of bioweapons and the different programs throughout history. His points on dual-use technologies and the generations of bioweapons are extremely relevant with the growing discussion over CRISPR and genomic editing. I enjoyed his overview of different international programs, especially the American one. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in biological weapons and their role in international security issues. Koblentz keeps the reader engaged with interesting facts and a touch of humor.

"Living Weapons" is on the ROROTOKO list of cutting-edge intellectual nonfiction. Professor Koblentz's book interview ran here as cover feature on November 23, 2009.

Thank you