In Thinking in an Emergency, Elaine Scarry lays bare the realities of emergency politics and emphasizes what she sees as the ultimate ethical concern: equality of survival. She reveals how regular citizens can reclaim the power to protect one another and our democratic principles. Government leaders sometimes argue that the need for swift national action means there is no time for the population to think, deliberate, or debate. But Scarry shows that clear thinking and rapid action are not in opposition. Examining regions as diverse as Japan, Switzerland, Ethiopia, and Canada, Scarry...