Book excerpt: In 2013, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey stated that the world is “more dangerous than it has ever been.” Is this accurate? Do we live in a world that is uniquely dangerous? Is it possible that the many threats and dangers promoted by policymakers and the media are exaggerated or overblown? In this timely edited volume, experts on international security assess – and put into context – the supposed dangers to American security. The authors examine the most frequently referenced threats, including wars between nations and civil wars within nations, and discuss the impact of rising nations, weapons proliferation, general unrest, terrorism, transnational crime, and state failures.