Feral Jundi

Friday, December 18, 2009

Books: One Nation Under Contract, by Allison Stanger–Review by David Isenberg

Filed under: Books — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 6:44 AM

   Another book for the holidays.  Last Christmas it was all about David’s book, and this year, it looks like Allison’s book is the latest thing.  It is not only praised by David, but is mentioned by Friedman in his Op-ed here, and it is also mentioned in the latest CNAS report about contractors here. So basically, this is a book you should probably check out, because these are the types of publications that fuel the conversation at the upper levels of policy making.

   For the record, I have not read this book so I really cannot comment on it.  It is on my list though. I have put the book in the Jundi Gear store, so check that out if you plan on using Amazon to buy anything. Hopefully Allison or David can come on by and comment some more about the book.  I would like to hear how well it is selling, and what the reactions are from the defense think tank crowd. –Matt

Edit: 12/21/2009 – David just sent me a BookTV episode that Allison did about her book.  Check it out here. Also check out here article at Foreign Policy here.

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One Nation Under Contract

Book Review of One Nation Under Contract by Allison Stanger

Missing in Action

Dec 19, 2009

By David Isenberg

Of all the books published about private military and security contractors in recent years, with more coming out all the time, few really understand the phenomenon of outsourcing roles that were formerly the preserve of government.

Either they are academic theses and dissertations rewritten for public consumption, such as Peter Singer’s Corporate Warriors, a rare useful book on the subject; ill-concealed hysterical jeremiads masquerading as dispassionate journalism, such as Jeremy Scahill’s over-the-top fulminations against Blackwater; or breathless “I was there taking fire in the sandbox” memoirs from conflict zones.

Not many authors have paused to consider exactly what is going on. To paraphrase what was said about the US intelligence community after the September 11, 2001, attacks, they don’t connect the dots. Finally someone has.

That someone is Allison Stanger, professor of international politics and economics at Middlebury College in the United States.

(more…)

Monday, November 16, 2009

Books: ‘Them and Us’ and How The 70,000-year War With Neanderthals Created Modern Humans

Filed under: Books — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 2:59 AM

     Get a load of this guy? Scary to say the least.  The Neanderthal seemed like quite an adversary for our ancient human cousins, and they certainly don’t look like the cuddly Geico Commercial cavemen we see all the time.  Can you imagine this guy hunting and eating you, or kidnapping the women in your tribe and raping them–and probably eating them afterwards?  This is the kind of stuff of horror movies if you ask me.

     What I picked up on though, was how the humans were reduced to a few survivors, and these survivors happen to be the smart ones who got organized and turned around the fight.  I really liked the concept of breeding to get more diverse genetics within a tribe, hence further enhancing our mental capability to fight and defend self and others.  This was a fearsome enemy, and humans definitely evolved into the better ‘man’.  But it took building snowmobiles and out thinking this adversary, and you see hints of that throughout this book.  I think Boyd would have enjoyed reading this, because this is really the first war that we can truly learn from, as far as human behavior and why we do what we do on the battlefield and in society.

    For the record, I have not been able to read this book, and have only been able to read bits and pieces that are available online.  It is on my list though, and I figured I would put this out there for the readership to consider.  Interesting stuff. –Matt

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70,000-year war with Neanderthals created modern humans

Neanderthals were a race of super-predators that hunted early humans to the edge of extinction in the Middle East until, at one stage, there were only about 50 of our ancestors left. These resilient survivors evolved into modern humans and staged a fight-back that led to the extinction of the Neanderthals.

These are just some of the claims of a new theory of human evolution to be published next week by Australian author, Danny Vendramini. In his book Them and Us: how Neanderthal predation created modern humans, Vendramini suggests the protracted inter-species conflict that raged between Neanderthals and humans for over 70,000 years was responsible for transforming archaic humans into fully modern humans.

 The author has spent five years researching the 50,000 year period that Neanderthal and early humans both occupied the Levant and says the evidence is overwhelming that Neanderthals were not docile hominids. “These forest-dwelling creatures were the most lethal of all the prehistoric predators. They hunted the largest and fiercest prey, including lions, mammoths, rhinos, cave bears – and humans…

*****

Neanderthals hunted, raped and ate humans

Neanderthals were not the gentle, almost-human creatures portrayed in the media over the last 150 years. New Australian research reveals they were aggressive, powerful and terrifying carnivores—ruthless and efficient apex predators, who hunted, raped and ate early humans for over 50,000 years. The Neanderthal’s daily diet of nearly 2 kg of meat—the equivalent of 16 Quarter Pounders—included human flesh.

Based on the research, Australian independent scholar Danny Vendramini has developed “Neanderthal predation theory”, which argues that the evolution of modern humans— including our unique physiology, sexuality and human nature—is the result of a reaction to this systematic long-term sexual predation and cannibalism by Eurasian Neanderthals.

Read more at author’s website here.

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Neanderthals Were Few and Poised for Extinction

Thursday , July 16, 2009

Neanderthals are of course extinct. But there never were very many of them, new research concludes.

In fact, new genetic evidence from the remains of six Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) suggests the population hovered at an average of 1,500 females of reproductive age in Europe between 38,000 and 70,000 years ago, with the maximum estimate of 3,500 such female Neanderthals.

“It seems they never really took off in Eurasia in the way modern humans did later,” said study researcher Adrian Briggs of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.

(more…)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Books: Security Contracting, by Jake Allen

     Hey guys and gals, this is pretty cool. Normally, I am always promoting some book of an author that I don’t know.  In this case, I know the book and the author, and I am really excited to promote both.

    Jake has been working hard on this book over the last year or so in regards to starting and maintaining a career in security contracting. Not to mention doing that, along with all of his work setting up and maintaining Combat Operator and the Private Military Herald. This book is a compilation of information accumulated only from years of experience, from industry information saturation as a writer, and from learning the hard lessons that go along with this industry. If you are looking for a book that is written by a security contractor, for security contractors, then this is it.

     I often wish I had a book like this to help me out in the early days. Like most, I just fumbled along and built my knowledge base from hours of reading bits and pieces at the forums. There are not too many ‘DIY’ manuals for overseas security contracting, and Jake’s book is a great resource for your career.

     For you guys that have websites or online stores, Jake has an affiliate program for this book as well. (which I am a member of)  This is a great way to spread the word on how to get into security contracting, and make a little a coin on the side. It is very easy to sign on with this program, and Jake and the affiliate company will totally help you out in setting your stuff up right. Follow the link below for more information.

     Finally, two dollars from each sale of this book will be going to the Wounded Warrior’s Foundation. I like that, because these guys have provided a lot of help to the wounded and their families in this war, and that is something I can rally around. Check it out and pass it on. –Matt

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Security Contracting

Start and Maintain Your Career in the Private Security Industry

By Jake Allen

Finally the ‘How to…’ ebook you’ve been looking for.

Security Contracting is written by security security contractors and for private security contractors.

Buy and read this ebook if you want to:

-Get an insider’s perspective on what life is like as a private security contractor in a war-zone

-Learn insider tips on how to build a network and find contracts

-Get insider advice on training and skills building

-Learn how to structure and write your resume to get more responses from recruiters

-Get lists and links to PSC sites that are hiring, many of whom are hiring right now for work in places like Iraq and Afghanistan

-Get answers to many of the most Frequently Asked Questions of people trying to enter this expanding industry

-Learn how the business actually works from the inside by an insider who’s personally been there and done it

-Get tips and insight on how to increase your personal and professional network across the industy

-Get a complete list of nearly all of the major Private Military and Security Companies in the industry today

-You get over 70 pages of insight, advice and information!

*****

Contractor Reviews…

“I sincerely wish a book like this existed when I started contracting almost 10 years ago!  Bravo Jake for assembling a guide to this unique career path.”

Martin M, United Kingdom

“This book covers more than just the tactical aspects of the contracting industry.  He talks about everything from contingency and financial planning to how to tailor your CV for maximum exposure.”

Eric H, Chicago, IL

*****

About the Author

Jake Allen served as an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps before embarking on a career as a private security contractor.  He has worked extensively throughout Iraq as well as in other hostile and high threat regions.  Jake is known across the private military and security circuit for his strait forward, no-nonsense, assessments of both the capabilities and the limitations of private security companies.  Many of his views on contracting can be found at the popular contracting blog The Combat Operator.  His articles have also appeared on sites such as Feral Jundi, Free Range International and DefenseTech.  Jake has been a guest on numerous radio programs and podcasts and he continuously serves as a source of ‘ground truth’ information for journalists, authors and academics covering or studying the private security sector.  Jake continues to work as a security consultant as well as serving as a contributing editor at-large for the Private Military Herald.  All who have served with Jake in the Marines or who have contracted with him hold him in high regard and can attest to his integrity and professionalism.

*****

$2.00 from each sale of Security Contracting will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

*****

This ebook is made available to you via immediate and direct download following your successful payment.  Security Contracting is an ebook, not a paper book.  It is delivered in digital document Adobe PDF format.   If you do not have Adobe Reader you can get it for free here.

Plimus is the internet’s leading online commerce platform that allows you to pay securely with all major credit and debit cards in your local currency.

Please see Affiliates

To Purchase the book, go here.

Read more about the book here.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Books: Privatising Peace, By Malcolm Hugh Patterson

Filed under: Books — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 3:05 PM

   I have not read this book, but it came up on my radar and I thought I would get the word out about it.  Certainly this is a controversial subject, and hopefully it will spark some rational debate about the concept.  Oh, and this won’t be shipping out until December, so you have some time to sell a kidney to buy this sucker. lol –Matt

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Amazon

Privatising Peace: A Corporate Adjunct to United Nations Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Operations

By Malcolm Hugh Patterson

Review

Malcolm Patterson has written an eminently readable and thought-provoking book that forces us to reconsider again our ideas about peacekeeping and whether, after the debacles in Somalia, Rwanda and the Congo, it is now time to consider privatising peacekeeping. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in understanding how the market might impact on peacekeeping operations. – Dr Christopher Kinsey, Defence Studies Department, King’s College London at the Joint Command and Staff College, Defence Academy of the UK

(more…)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Podcasts: PMH Radio Interviews Suzanne Simons, Author of Master of War

Filed under: Books,Podcasts — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:22 PM

Listen to the podcast and read Jake Allen’s review here.

 

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