more on MORE -- more on On Herman Kahn

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 13:40:52 -0800
From: "Willis H. Ware" <willis () rand org>
Subject: Re: [IP] MORE -- more on On Herman Kahn
To: dave () farber net

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In the several messages about Herman Kahn, there is no mention of his early
career.  The following facts can be found in his biography on the Hudson
site [www.hudson.org] and from a search of the RAND Corporation publications
[www.rand.org].

Herman came to RAND in the late 40s as mathematician and physicist.  His
earliest publication was 1949.  In those days he worked on nuclear physics
theory, mathematical methodology, game theory and Monte Carlo methods.
His interests later turned to global strategic and social matters, and to
futurism.  His well known "On Thermonuclear War" was published in 1960
[Princeton Press], and republished in 1978 [Greenwood Press].  It contains
lots of material on civil defense and shelters -- topics whose study was by
no means embraced by all parties.

There are two "thinking about" books.  The first was  published in 1962 and
the second -- Thinking About the Unthinkable in the 1980s -- was published
in 1984.

Since Herman founded Hudson in 1961, apparently both "thinking about" books
were published under Hudson's aegis although they must surely have
reflected his work at RAND during the late 1950s.

                                        Willis H. Ware
					RAND Corp  Santa Monica, CA 

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