Customer Reviews

Interviewer's Handbook: A Guerrilla Guide: Techniques & Tactics for Reporters and Writers

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An ideal addition to any journalist or author's Writer Reference shelf, The Interviewer's Handbook: A Guerrilla Guide by John Brady is a compendium of instruction into the diverse tactics and techniques of acquiring and conducting interviews by journalists and writers. Enhanced with lively anecdotes, practical advice, conventional (and unconventional!) methods for approaching varied situations, dealing with "off-the-record" issues, securing colorful quotes, even what to do when assigned to get interviews with entertainment celebrities, business leaders, and influential politicians. Of special interest are the lists of ready-to-use questions for an interview.

While of us do not interview celebs livelihood-wise, we all need to extricate important info from others. Whether in commerce, aerospace, security, health care, or the "Plain Jane social scene", communication skills are vital to success. Interviewing is the art form of asking (artfully constructed questions)and active listening is an opportunity to extricate "more". Seasoned journalist/author Brady shares trade secrets. "The Art of Listening" reminds us aggressive listening can mean success or failure. Quoting John Travolta--Brady reminds us that "people are interesting...you just need to ask the right questions" is a real thought pearl.

For the socially shy- Chapter 22 "Best Questions" has goodies for cocktail chit-chat stuff. This book, sprinkled with wit, humor, insight, could easily change your life. Highly recommended. Easily digestible.

Miriam Erick/ Boston
Author: "Managing Morning Sickess" (c) 2004 (Bull Pub. Boulder, Co

This is a fun book and I highly recommend it to those interested in journalism, PR and perhaps even marketing. I am no journalist so I can't make a credible judgment on how good or valid his advice is, but from a layman's (i.e. my) point of view it all seems like it makes sense.

However, there are areas for improvement. Firstly, it needs careful editing. For example on pg. 147 he writes "especially if you invest is an expensive headset" ('is' should be 'in'). There are actually quite a few of these mistakes, the kind that automatic spellcheckers wouldn't catch. However, if I can catch them, others should have been able to also.

Another area for improvement concerns the focus on the kind of journalism that this book is most relevant to. For example the canned questions that he suggests, although valuable, are not interesting to me personally. I think these are geared more towards celebrity interviews, whereas I think it would be valuable to suggest questions (and give them a context) that are more provocative and directed to politicians and policy/opinion makers (how to get access to these kinds of people in particular) would be of much interest to me. As one who is interested in foreign policy and calling the government to account for its actions, I would have appreciated more material directed to this general area.

Still, I'm glad I bought the book and I probably won't resell it. It has many good topics and was a pleasure to read. The author is witty and has a good command of the English language. I definitely recommend it.