Spring 2020 OLLI Catalog (Interactive)

PEER-LED CLASSES (Omnilore)
Common Reading:
The Fifth Domain: Defending Our
Country, Our Companies and
Ourselves in the Age of
Cyber Threats, by Richard Clarke
(July 2019)
(CYB) Defending Our Country, Our Companies
and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats
We hear stories about cyber-attacks taking down banks and
hospitals, demands for ransom in untraceable cryptocurrency, and
the vulnerability of our power grid. Hearing stories like this, most
Americans think the news is bleak, defense is futile and major
cyber-attacks from Russia, China or North Korea are inevitable.
But there is reason for optimism.
Not so long ago, the technology did not exist for companies to
robustly defend themselves from cyber-criminals and attacks from
hostile countries. Over the past 10 years, there has been encouraging
news from the cyber realm. Many U.S. corporations have found
ways to defend themselves within our own country or abroad.
There are dozens of tools that companies can use to minimize their
digital risks and defend themselves in cyberspace.
Government agencies, on the other hand, are poorly defended, and
this is true at the city, county, state and national level. Many utilities,
such as power and gas companies, are also vulnerable targets
for hackers. Even more troubling is the inadequate protection of
our military systems, including jet fighters, warships and missiles.
Increasingly, we are gaining the defensive technologies we need,
but we are not taking cyber security seriously enough to commit
the manpower and dollars to its implementation.
Common Reading:
Europe: A History, by Norman Davies
(January 1998)
(EUR) Europe: A History, Part 2
How did Europe evolve from the last Ice Age to the European
Union? British historian Norman Davies’ scholarly, insightful and
witty paperback outlines the process while untangling the complexities
of European history. Not just a history of states, the book takes
into account all the in-betweens, minority peoples, and the nations
without statehood. The book is a holistic history for those who wish
to have a good grounding in European history or want to refresh
their memories about common culture and political heritage.
The first half of the book, from Pre-history to about 1450 A.D.,
is being covered during the Fall 2019 term.
During the Spring 2020 trimester, we will cover the Renaissance
and the Reformation (1450-1670) up to the modern period (1945-
1991). It is not necessary to have attended the fall sessions to be a
member in the spring. Warning: common reading is quite demanding;
we will be reading and discussing over 500 pages of material.
54 OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE @ CSU DOMINGUEZ HILLS