The Devil Never Sleeps by Juliette Kayyem
If 2020 taught us anything, it is that the unexpected happens, and that everyone — from the government, to institutions, corporations and businesses, and individual homes and families — must be actively involved in dealing with it.
Juliette Kayyem, an international leader in crisis management, disaster response and homeland security, tackles that topic head-on in her just released The Devil Never Sleeps.
We live in a time of constant, consistent catastrophe, where things more often go wrong than they go right. So why do we still fumble when disaster hits? Why are we always one step behind?
“As I write this, the world is still roiled by the COVID-19 pandemic, with its recurrent waves and seemingly endless variations. Fresh from this experience, surely, we all know the proverbial stars will misalign again? Perhaps a hurricane? A flood? A wildfire? A drought? A Miami apartment falling to the ground? A Travis Scott concert?”
“The list is endless. Where even to start? Where to end? This spoil of riches is the point. For there to be a start, it assumes a finish. For the war to end, it assumes there was once peace. For you to stop worrying, it assumes there was a time of unicorns and rainbows when days were carefree and weightless. I’m here to disabuse you of that notion. There is no finish line.”
MAKING SENSE OF TROUBLING TIMES
Drawing on her long and varied experience in government and private enterprise, Kayyem lays the groundwork for a new approach to dealing with disaster — before it hits. Kayyem guides the reader through the seven steps to take in anticipation of the “devil’s” inevitable return, highlighting the leadership deficiencies organizations need to overcome and the forward-thinking they need to harness to navigate crises effectively and efficiently.
She also reveals many of the traps that even the most well-meaning organizations are liable to fall into: for instance, we habitually focus too much on the last disaster. We’ve no sooner rebuilt the levees to prevent too much water than we are discovering we cannot fight forest fires because there is too little.
Filled with personal anecdotes and real-life examples from Hurricane Katrina to the Boeing MAX scandal (and even how Beyoncé had to manage the failure of the lights during the Super Bowl halftime show!), The Devil Never Sleeps is a guide to our new normal.
It will prove to be a crucial tool for government, organizations and individuals to alter our thinking and develop effective strategies in the face of perpetual catastrophe.
