The Handbook of Practical Spying

by Jack Barth

Book Overview

The mind is the only weapon that a spy is guaranteed to discharge on a daily basis. If you can adopt the principles described in this book, you may not be ready to single-handedly take down a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0792267958
• ISBN13: 9780792267959
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: National Geographic Society
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

The Essence of the Matter

This is a brilliant, humorous and suscinct introduction to the ethos of spying. The spy is not a technologist nor a SWAT officer, but someone trained in "awareness" and able to approach discreetly her objective to get "intel". This book puts forward the essence of that spirit and the regular behaviour to be acquired, even if it precludes intentionally the sordid side. For that maybe you should read John Le Carre.

One of my favorite books.

I use the concepts in this book every day. As a spy, it is imperative to remember the ideas presented in this book for recruiting, questioning, and handling agents and spying on others in general. And if you are not a spy, this book is great for assessing situations, acting on your instincts, and getting into the VIP section of that awesome restaurant so you won't be stuck in the rain waiting for that girl who stood you up.

Spying for fun

I loved this book. It was entertaining and informative. The book is as smart as it is good looking. There isn't too much information, but the right amount to go on. Improving your spy skills improves your general life skills.

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.