Ragnar's Guide To Interviews, Investigations, And Interrogations: How To Conduct Them, How To Survive Them [Paperback]

Ragnar Benson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 158160095X | ISBN-13: 978-1581600957

Most Paladin readers know Ragnar Benson as a survivalist, a powder monkey, a trapper, a hunter and a dispenser of survival medicine, but how many know that he has been involved in the PI business for more than 25 years? In this, his first book on the subject of investigations, Ragnar offers readers two books in one. He reveals how PIs, cops and military interrogators conduct interviews, investigations and interrogations, and he also shows prospective witnesses how to survive them. For investigators, he shares his professional secrets and real-life scenarios for creating effective pretexts for any situation, opening up a witness and keeping him talking, recognizing and "listening" to nonverbal clues, and deciding whether to use honey or vinegar to get the desired results. Then he turns the tables on his fellow investigators and gives potential witnesses specific tips for avoiding - or at least surviving - the tactics, techniques and tricks favored by skilled investigators. Whether you want to be an investigator or avoid one, you won't want to miss this book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ragnar Benson is America's most-esteemed survival expert. He has written more than 20 books for Paladin throughout the years on a variety of topics covering everything from weapons to politics to survival medicine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158160095X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581600957
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Law > Intellectual Property > Communications

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not With This Book, Save Your $$$, May 25, 2003

By 

John G. Cakars - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ragnar's Guide To Interviews, Investigations, And Interrogations: How To Conduct Them, How To Survive Them (Paperback)

I was looking forward to reading this book. But once I started, I was sorry I bought this book.

This book promises a lot. But does not really deliver on the promises. When I finished reading the book, I was not convinced that I knew more about either conducting "interviews" or surving "interrogations."

Each chapter ends with "Tips for potential witnesses." This by far is the most useful section of the book. If you read these "tips," you will know the book. This is the first "tip" of the book: "1. What should you do if you don't wish to talk to an investigator? An obvious but incorrect answer is to refuse to do so." page 19. Yes, Mr. Benson does go into more detail about this question.

The book is organized thus: Introduction; 1 What Makes a Successful Investigator?; 2 The Fine Arts of Listening and Observing; 3 What are Pretexts and How Are They Used?; 4 Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings and Rules of Evidence; 5 Criminal Investigations; 6 Once Witnesses are in the Legal Pipeline; 7 Surviving a Cross-Examination; 8 Military Interrogations; Conclusion. There is no bibliography.

If this topic interests a reader, then see if you can find the book, "Ask Me No Questions, I'll Tell You No Lies." The reader will learn more than Bensons' tome.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a good read, April 16, 2003

By 

scuba08801 (augusr eesm) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ragnar's Guide To Interviews, Investigations, And Interrogations: How To Conduct Them, How To Survive Them (Paperback)

I really didn't learn anything from this book. Its focus was centered around Private Investigators use of pretext's. Pretexts are lies that are told to solicit information out of an interviewee. They can range from, "You will be in trouble if you don't help me," to the opposite, "You know, I did the same thing. It's alright to admit to the crime." If that makes sense, then don't read this book and save yourself [the money].

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Useful, July 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ragnar's Guide To Interviews, Investigations, And Interrogations: How To Conduct Them, How To Survive Them (Paperback)

I was hoping for a book that would give away all the secrets to interrogation and making people spill the beans. Instead I got an arrogant sermon on how important and powerful the author thinks private investigators and security guards are. He claims that anyone who does not talk to an investigator can be forced to give deposed testimony (total bull). Being an ex-private investigator, the author's tips are worthless. I want a book that exposes professional interrogation training like the Reid Technique and heuristical interrogation techniques. This book is a complete waste of money.