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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for 24 fans, January 20, 2008
This review is from: 24 (TM) (Paperback)
I have to admit, I felt a little dorky buying this book. I'm not really the kind of person who buys companion books to TV shows or movies. And, I felt $16.47 plus shipping was a bit too much for what I would get. I love the show 24, though, and I heard positive things about this book, so I decided to buy it. Now, I feel it was well-worth the money and wish I ordered it sooner. This handbook is literally a handbook. It was designed to seem as if it is actually used to train new CTU employees, and it looks like something you might see sitting on a desk somewhere at CTU. The book begins with an introduction by none other than Jack Bauer. The introduction is so well-written I could easily envision Keifer Sutherland as Jack, reading it to me. The book covers a very broad range of topics such as what to expect if you work at CTU, what gear Field Agents should always have, surveillance techniques, how to go undercover, combat, interrogation, and how to handle a variety of disasters. While there is very little groundbreaking information (the phrase, "consult your director for more information" pops up too often), the handbook explains a myriad of interesting ideas I had never thought about before (such as what facilities are included in CTU: a firing range, a gym, medical, but definitely not child care and exactly what to do if someone is following you). Also included is a summary of the six seasons of 24 (filed under most significant days in CTU history), a glossary of commonly-used terms (such as abbreviations of branches such as DOD and CDC, and what drugs are commonly used in interrogations), a list of intelligence agencies worldwide (the United Kingdom uses MI6 Secret Intelligence Service, Argentina uses Secretaría de Inteligencia de Estada (Secretariat of State Intelligence)), along with hundreds of stunning photos from the show. This is a great book for anyone who is a big fan of 24. I would not recommend reading this, though, until you have watched all six seasons of 24, as there are numerous references to events on the show (aka spoilers).
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Outrageous!, March 26, 2008
This review is from: 24 (TM) (Paperback)
This is by far the worst 24 product I've ever seen. And I'm hard to disappoint! I read the review and was looking forward to get a cool, officially looking CTU manual with charts, sketches and diagrams and was ready to be drawn into the 24 atmosphere. I opened the nicely made slipcase and found ... a photo book, with stills from the show. Can you believe this?? Oh the manual text is there, every second page a bit. (This is no joke: At least every second page is a full page picture) This is by no means a manual of any kind. And it is not even close to "official". The pictures in the book are so ridiculous ... they do not illustrate anything, they weren't even shot exclusively for this book but directly taken from the show. If it were only pictures CTU might have had access to, one might have said: Ok they're using archive footage to illustrate their manual. But no, they often show angles and situations only the viewer of the show would have seen. The atmosphere is completely ruined. There is no way I will read this book through. In fact I'm going to return it. If you want something which tastes "official" I recommend "24": The Official Investigation by Marc Cerasini
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Agent?, February 19, 2012
If you are a fan of the show 24 THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! Written in the style of a training manual. Incorporating photos from the show gives you all of the ends and outs of the Counter Terrorist Unit, which is a really neat aspect. The book reads as if you are the one joining the team. Chapters in the book cover: Working at CTU, GERR, Surveillance, Undercover OPS, Combat, Interrogation, and Disaster management. Some of the sections in these chapters range from supply checklist, satellite surveillance, how to tell if you're being trailed, establishing a fake identity, how to fake your own death, interrogating suspects, and even how to treat a severed limb. Examples in the book all relate to the conundrums that Jack Bauer finds himself in and are laugh out loud hilarious. This book is pretty awesome and has the potential to appeal even to those who have never seen the show. In addition to the content of 24, it is a very nicely made book. The outside is a hard board slip cover with a raised number 24, and the pages are thick, glossy, and of high quality. I give this book a 4 STAR rating. *** I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program
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