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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pentagon takes the starring role!, February 21, 2003
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pentagon (Complete Idiot's Guides) (Paperback)
This book is both funny and functional -- I use it as a desk reference in my work counselling companies who have to work with, or sell to, the US military, as well as a random excuse to brighten the day. Moreover, military officers I work with have started to recommend it to colleagues attending the services' staff colleges...not because there are no other reference books, but because this one tells you things that are useful in a way that makes you genuinely interested in learning more. The Pentagon lore here is well-researched, and provides a terrific foundation for a primer on the parts of the US military with roots in The Building. Better yet, it's a fine effort to bridge inter-service rivalries: you can read someone poking fun at those Other Guys with the Funny Uniforms and, while nobody's watching, actually appreciate the Other Guys' history, culture and lore. My favourite parts are the ones about Classified Documents, and the civilian's guide to Missile Defense. Not only are these great examples of how Cateau and Levin make complex topics accessible with clear examples, but I just plain couldn't read these ones aloud to friends without laughing! Okay, and the quiz on Navy Abbreviations catches even the most avid acronym interpreters!
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