In today's hyper-connected society, understanding the mechanisms of trust is crucial. Issues of trust are critical to solving problems as diverse as corporate responsibility, global warming, and the political system. In this insightful and entertaining book, Schneier weaves together ideas from across the social and biological sciences to explain how society induces trust. He shows the unique role of trust in facilitating and stabilizing human society. He discusses why and how trust has evolved, why it works the way it does, and the ways the information society is changing everything.
A Note for Readers xiii
1 Overview 1
Part I The Science of Trust 15
2 A Natural History of Security 17
3 The Evolution of Cooperation 27
4 A Social History of Trust 41
5 Societal Dilemmas 51
Part II A Model of Trust 61
6 Societal Pressures 63
7 Moral Pressures 75
8 Reputational Pressures 87
9 Institutional Pressures 103
10 Security Systems 123
Part III The Real World 137
11 Competing Interests 139
12 Organizations 155
13 Corporations 173
14 Institutions 195
Part IV Conclusions 205
15 How Societal Pressures Fail 207
16 Technological Advances 225
17 The Future 243
Acknowledgments 249
Notes 251
References 289
About the Author 349
Index 351
