Includes bibliographical references (page 31) and index.

Defining terrorism is difficult -- Risk of death is low -- Terrorism is not new to the world -- Terrorism has unpredictable effects -- Terrorism affects the whole world -- Bombings are a common tool -- Terror attacks still happen in the United States -- Terrorists are a diverse group of people -- Governments can be involved in terrorism -- Governments also work to prevent terrorism -- Law enforcement is improving -- The internet is terrorism's new frontier.

Describes twelve aspect of terrorism, including the difficulty of defining it, its risks and effects, and different kinds of terrorists, and discusses the role of governments in causing, preventing, and dealing with it.