Be Your Own Detective [Paperback]

Greg Fallis (Author), Ruth Greenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 1998

This updated and expanded edition of Be Your Own Detective includes the new technological advances in the art of snooping. High-tech devices developed for the most part by the military--night vision goggles, bugging and tapping equipment, sound amplification dishes are all now available (at reasonable to staggering prices) at the neighborhood electronics shop. The worldwide web is an amazing one-stop source of information. Authors Fallis and Greenberg have compiled the host of opportunities offered by the web and point out how they may be accessed most efficiently and effectively.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers who are untroubled by fastidious concern for ethics but plagued with curiosity will take careful notes as Fallis, a licensed P.I., and Greenberg, a criminal defense lawyer, team up to coach the novice on the art of sleuthing. Practical tips on such venerable skills as tailing (use reflective surfaces, they suggest; look at shop windows, plexiglass bus shelters or even puddles rather than directly at the subject) and surveillance (put a cheap watch under a tire on a subject's car; if he drives off, the watch's broken face will reveal the time of departure) stand out from sections that appear mere padding (on the detective's "sense of self," for example), from the authors' intrusively articulated mutual admiration, and from the numerous instances where the duo outlines formula lies designed to expedite information-gathering from civil servants. A lot of their advice is just common sense; much of the writing coyly hardboiled--but would-be Columbos will not mind in the least.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Long-time private eye Fallis and criminal lawyer Greenberg promise here "to teach you to do all the things detectives do." They discuss how to do surveillance; how to follow the paper trail of public and private records (even sifting through trash); how to trace missing persons; do interviews; and examine evidence. This instruction, plus numerous anecdotes, provides an entertaining, informative, and interesting look at a little-known occupation. However, as a self-teaching manual for amateurs, this book is only partly successful. In some cases not enough detail is provided, and while the authors do distinguish legal from illegal detective methods, at times they fail to rule out the impractical and unsafe. Several recent books on detective work are available; Ted Gunderson and Roger McGovern's How To Locate Anyone Anywhere Without Leaving Home ( LJ 8/89), for example, thoroughly covers one topic, missing persons. Fallis and Greenberg take on the whole subject of detective methods but with uneven results. Recommended, but with reservations.
- Mary Jane Brustman, SUNY at Albany Libs.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: M.Evans & Company (November 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871318725
• ISBN-13: 978-0871318725
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the only book you'll need, to be your own detective., June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Be Your Own Detective (Paperback)

Prior to purchasing this book several years ago, my interest was minimal in the private investigation field. It was only limited to what I saw on television and in the movies. After reading Be Your Own Detective, not only did my interest peak, but it caused me to change careers and become, My Own Detective. I have been in the field for three years now and have Mr. Fallis to thank.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start to become your own Detective, February 16, 2000

By 

Kevlin D. Parker (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Your Own Detective (Paperback)

This is one of the easiest to read "How To" detective books out there. The suggestions are easy enough for anyone to follow. From surveillance to tracking down deadbeat dads, this is the book for anyone interested in P.I. work. So be your own detective and investigate this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Introduction to the Field, August 5, 2002

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Be Your Own Detective (Paperback)

This guidebook by a licensed PI (as you will learn in the book, in order to accept any compensation for investigative work, you must be licensed) and a criminal defense lawyer is a good basic introduction to the realm of private detectives. Well-organized and easy to read, the book is full of practical tips for the budding amateur and prospective professional. Each section (Tailing, Surveillance, Paper Trails, etc.) is introduced and illustrated by anecdotes from Fallis' own career. And while most of the book is pretty common sense and straightforward, it's nice to have it all spelled out in one place. Throughout, Fallis adopts a cautionary tone which dismisses how detective work are portrayed on TV and film and underlines the drudgery that most real life PIs deal with every day. Especially valuable are the chapter on civil work (which is the bread and butter of most investigative work), which outlines the most common areas and issues and the chapter on criminal work, which usually (but not always) involves working for a person accused of a crime.

If the book has a weakness, it's that some of it seems a bit dated. In the last two years, the incidence of identity theft has grown exponentially, and so one wonders whether some of the techniques he described for finding personal information out about people would work so well these days. Similarly, the world of computers and the Internet changes so quickly that his chapter on that is also probably not as useful as it might have been. However, the appendix on social security numbers (the first three digits indicate what state or area it was issued in) and information sources are especially handy references. All in all, a fine introduction to detecting.