In the area of nuclear weapons, Teller estimates that Soviet military strength and power has passed that of the United States. Instead of striking first, he advocates a well-prepared civil defense plan in the United States. This would allow the U.S. to deter or react to a possible war.

Teller's biography includes: Director and associate director, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, 1958-75; professor of physics, University of California, 1960-75; senior research fellow, Hoover Institution, 1975-2003.