Summary

Chapter 1, “Nine-Eleven,” is the first chapter of Section I, “Terrorism.” It follows a one-page introduction to the section, and is divided into four sub-sections that explain how terrorists were able to carry out the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Muller gives a brief introduction that sums up the events of September 11, 2001, and explains some key terms to the reader. He explains that energy can be measured in terms of TNT equivalent, and that explosiveness is the quality of being able to release a lot of power over a short time. He tells the reader how a transfer of energy from exploding gasoline to steel beams caused molecules to move far enough apart that they no longer supported the structure.

In “Inspecting Passengers,” Muller explains how the American airport security system was not prepared to catch the 9/11 suicide...