Information War

ECONOMIC AND INFORMATION WAR

Didier Lucas and Alain Tiffreau
Ellipses, 2001, 240 pages.

This book is an anthology of extremely instructive case studies on how to use information—and often misinformation—as an economic weapon.

The authors describe and analyze a dozen examples of offensive strategies using subversive tactics aimed at companies and governments. They describe the misadventures of Ford, Elf, Shell, Unilever and Nestlé when coping with sometimes unexpected adversaries, whose main weapon is clever information management and manipulation. Several examples from political spheres—nuclear protests and animal fodder, for example—help readers understand how information is used as a destabilizing tactic.

Those in a hurry should know that the book does not offer general theories on subversion or particular defensive tactics, other than recognizing the risks and understanding the weapons available to an adversary. However, the concise case studies and clear analyses make for easy reading and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.

Don’t be fooled by its small size; this book is rich and stimulating.

Didier Lucas is a management science researcher at the University of Panthéon-Assas. Alain Tiffreau is a consultant and professor at the Ecole de Guerre Economique (Economic War Institute).