Security is now a $500 billion global business, and it s growing fast.

It's developed from the night watchman keeping a sleepy eye out, to the guard patrolling the shopping mall, to smart surveillance systems monitoring everything, everywhere, all the time.

This book explains:

--how demand for security is generated by an alignment of interests between big business, insurance companies, the media, lawyers, politicians, and human nature; --how our response to terrorism is driven by fear rather than risk;

--and how security has become a key feature of our lives at home, on-line, at work, when shopping, and when flying.

This is a panoramic view from an industry insider who describes why the more security we have, the more we want.

And crucial question emerges, as security incorporates new technology including facial recognition, drones, artificial intelligence, digital analytics, location and heart rate monitoring: are we creating Big Brother or Big Mother?

It s probably the most interesting book on security that you ll ever read.