The Devil Never Sleeps
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters is a nonfiction work authored by Juliette Kayyem and released by PublicAffairs in 2022. Kayyem draws attention to the increasing certainty of disasters occurring and emphasizes the critical need for proactive risk management both prior to and following such incidents. The narrative highlights the significance of situational awareness in successful disaster mitigation.
Synopsis
This volume explores themes related to emergency management and disaster preparedness, pointing out that crisis responses frequently fall short of adequately protecting public welfare. It concentrates on three key aspects: readiness and reaction to large-scale catastrophes, reducing damage, and integrating insights from recent disasters to address forthcoming challenges.
Kayyem stresses advancing "situational awareness" and contends that enhanced preparation could have improved handling of significant events such as Hurricane Katrina and the January 6 Capitol attack. The discussion includes the idea of limiting cascading failure, illustrating how readiness can avert additional harm—for example, lowering fatalities caused by IEDs through better medical interventions. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami alongside the ensuing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster serve as examples demonstrating the repercussions of insufficient preparedness.
Drawing lessons from previous calamities is crucial; behavioral adaptations after the 2004 tsunami notably contributed to saving lives. The book also examines the "preparedness paradox," which describes how successful prevention efforts—such as those averting problems from the Year 2000 problem—can create ambiguity about whether such measures were necessary.
About the author
In 2009, then-United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appointed Kayyem as Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs. In this role, she facilitated coordination between the Department and state, local, tribal, and territorial entities concerning immigration, intelligence sharing, military matters, border security, and responses to incidents including the H1N1 pandemic, the December 25 attempted terrorist attack, the Haiti earthquake, and the BP oil spill.
Kayyem serves as a public policy instructor at Harvard Kennedy School. Since 2001, she has held a position as resident scholar at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, where she acts as executive director of the Kennedy School's Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness and co-directs Harvard's Long-Term Legal Strategy for Combating Terrorism. Additionally, she has taught courses on law and national security.
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews characterized the book as "an urgent, useful survival manual for our time." Publishers Weekly commended it for being "full of practical advice and incisive analysis," describing it as a perceptive and timely resource for reducing future disaster impacts.
External links
- "Fukushima’s Earthquakes Show That Risk Is Inevitable." Excerpt from the book. The Atlantic.
- Interview with Juliette Kayyem by Teneo.
- Smarter Disaster Management. 2016. Article by Juliette Kayyem.