Bruce Berkowitz, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a senior analyst at RAND, discusses the dynamics of of 21st century warfare in a work that will no doubt be required reading for every military strategist, and offers considerable insights into the world outside the military at the same time, whether he means to or not. Best of all, it's written readably and at 272 pages it favors precision over redundancy.

The main focus of the book is the four dynamics of information centric warfare:

• Asymmetric Threats - which allow the smallest foe an opportunity to damage a massive and well equipped opponent.
• Information-technology Competition - where the fight goes not to the strongest, but to the best informed
• The Race of Decision Cycles - where time becomes the determining factor in success
• Network Organization - where the rapidly changing face of battle requires equally rapid reorganization of forces and reporting structures.

Though the author is a DOD consultant and the warfare he foresees takes place primarily on the battlefield, the information war carries over into every area of our lives, and these lessons are better learned here rather on the battlefield, or in the marketplace. Of course, it's not enough to  recognize the dangers inherit in threats like asymmetric warfare, it's vital that any organization which hopes to survive competition learns how to use those strategies themselves.