In today's world, information is everything and no one knows how to gather information more effectively than spies. So why not use the information and techniques developed by real spies in your everyday life? The Handbook of Practical Spying shows you how. Get into the mind-set of spies, and learn the cardinal rule: how to deal with the unexpected. Spies have honed the ability to assess a situation, depend on their intuition and knowledge, and react effectively. Learn how to apply spy knowledge to situations in your own life, from how to hide valuables in your home, to how to shake a tail if you are being followed on a dark street. Learn how to avoid carjacking, pickpockets, and how to protect yourself from identity theft. The same tactics used by CIA and KGB agents can also be used in less serious situations-and these techniques can work in surprising ways. Planning a surprise birthday party for someone special? Learn how to create a cover story. Real spies know the tricks and what can give your cover away. A spy must master many skills, and is only as good as what he or she sees and understands. Observe and Analyze, Avoid Capture, Use Disguises, and Analyze Threats. These are all things that can help you in daily applications.The book is presented by International Spy Museum director and ex-CIA operative Peter Earnest, and filled with useful information gathered by the Spy Museum's team of experts. There are sections on how to be safe in your home, or when traveling. Tips on child safety, and how to tell if someone is lying. There is a rundown on how to react if terrorism strikes: what do you do if a dirty bomb goes off near you? Sprinkled with quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of Warthat are as relevant today as they were when written 2500 years ago, this books teaches in wry and pithy text the cardinal tenet of his writing, "There is nowhere you cannot put spies to good use." The International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying features illustrated step-by-step instructions on real-life spy techniques and their practical, positive applications. The authors also share real-life stories about how these tactics have been employed by professional spies all over the world. Featuring 40 2-color line drawings, illustrating spy techniques, and a bulleted text for easy access to the information.
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eye-catching format that packs a punch with useful information,
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This review is from: International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying (Paperback)
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.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Place to Start,
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This review is from: International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying (Paperback)
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.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A mix of insight and the superficial,
By Milkman (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying (Paperback)
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.
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