Product Description

Using information and techniques gathered by the International Spy Museum and an ex-CIA agent, this book shows how the tricks and methods used by spies can be incorporated into everyday life, such as how to hide valuables in your home or how to avoid carjacking or pickpockets.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55443 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-06
• Released on: 2004-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780792267959
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Eye-catching format that packs a punch with useful information
At first glance, this compact black, white, and red paperback looks like it could be another gimmicky book along the lines of the later Worst Case Scenario books. Delving beneath the surface, however, the reader will discover some useful information about how to act like a spy (act like you belong, behave purposefully, blend in, develop your assessment skills, trust your instinct and analyze later, and more), how to improve your memory and become more observant, how to ingratiate strangers, how to maneuver in a danger zone, anti-theft measures, and so on. You don't have to want to be a cloak-and-dagger/trenchcoat spy to use this book to glean some useful tips about human behavior and getting the information you want from others.

A Good Place to Start
The Practical Handbook of Spying is a short, simple book on some basic techniques of intelligence work. It's not a comprehensive manual; instead it covers areas useful to the general reader.

It's written in an easy, mildly amusing manner similar to the `Dummies' series of books. I originally wasn't impressed and almost sent it back, but after re-reading it a month later, I saw that there were nuggets of good information hidden under the superficial layer of humor. The book's introduction by former CIA agent Peter Earnest is excellent.

Another good thing; because it's only 184 small pages, there isn't as much padding and verbiage as in other books.

This isn't a CIA agent's manual, but perhaps the book a CIA agent would give someone interested in the subject. Useful for all ages.

A mix of insight and the superficial
The book is enjoyable and takes a light-hearted approach, often playing on the average person's perception of spies. This means a lot of references to James Bond and gadgetry. However the real content of the book is based in some beginning human intelligence skills, like improving your memory, being more aware of your surroundings and danger, and profiling people and their temperments.

I found most useful the discussion on using the Myers-Briggs personality test as a basis for profiling people and trying to predict their behaviors. Also intriguing was the section on Dale Carnegie as a "master spymaster" because he understood how to influence people; a nice connection made by the author, going to the core of how espionage is mostly based on human interaction and not gadgetry.

While some of these basics were worthwhile, I was distracted and disappointed with the constant effort to loop everything back to James Bond. The book really assumes the reader knows nothing more about espionage than watching Bond films, and it tries to be funny by talking about using "that James Bond charm" or "Q's gadgets" to get out of sticky situations. The effort to lighten the mood was mishandled because as much as the author tries to be funny he is just not a comedy writer and his jokes are lame.

I would regard this book as light on content and more of an entertainment book. It does have a few basic tips that are insightful.