Book Reviews

READING BY GOD, WHAT A CONCEPT

I will begin by saying, personally, my reading habits border on reference mostly and I enjoy a good story in non-fiction over fiction.  I will read and enjoy a fiction novel if the story parallels history and there are things that can be learned by reading the story.  Professionally, I read everything I can that is security related.  I start the day off with the newspapers of the Richmond Times Dispatch and the Wall Street Journal.  I then go to the Internet and read the latest Intel site stories CONUS and then OCONUS. Time is important in business so I keep all of this under two hours.  Stories I find interesting I will add to the BLOG.

The following are books that I have read in the last six months.  There are a number of books that I will buy and begin reading and they will not meet my standard of interest and I will donate them to Good Will.  Don’t get me wrong, I love knowledge and reading as much as I can, but I do only have a limited amount of time and reading a book that was not well written, or does not have information in it that I can use in my work is unacceptable.

I will make it simple here, the GREEN means read and the RED means save your money.

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The Closing of the American Border
Terrorism, Immigration, and Security since 9/11
By Edward Allen

I bought this book about five months ago and have begun reading it a number of times only to set it down and read something else, so I guess you know what I think about it.
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Combat Leader’s Field Guide
13th Edition
Sgt. Maj. Brett Stoneberger, USA (Ret.)

This is an excellent book, well written and a MUST READ.  There are many Chapters that can be used in discussions with Agents, students and other.

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Desperados
Latin Drug Lords, U.S. Lawmen, and the War America Can’t Win
By Elaine Shannon Sawyer

This book was OK, a possible read at the beach if you so desire.  This situation changes on such a daily basis that any book on the subject is outdated by the time it hits the shelves, but it’s your time.

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Kill Bin Laden
A Delta Force Commander’s Account of the Hunt for the World’s Most Wanted Man
By Dalton Fury

Do I really need to say anything on this book.  “The individuals in it had one goal and failed miserably at it. Catch Bin Laden and the world will beat a path to your doorstep.  Anything less is unacceptable and a waste of good paper and ink and a story with no ending, how wasteful is that.”  I saw the Sixty Minutes take on this and all I got was irritated at the clowns running the show and the Delta Force operators that allowed it.

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Just 2 Seconds
Using Time and Space to Defeat Assassins
With a Compendium of Attacks Against At-Risk Persons
By Gavin De Becker, Tom Taylor and Jeff Marquart

This is a MUST READ for anyone in the Personal Protection business. The information is a lot and intense so be ready to get your crayons out and do some writing.  The book is worth the money for the stats alone.

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Spies for Hire
The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing
By Tim Shorrock

The book is very informative on the subject, but by the time I finished reading it most of the parties running the agencies and companies had moved on and with so much information given it makes the read harder to keep up with.
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The Shadow Factory
The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on Americas Most Wanted By James Bamford

This was a great book for understanding and putting the faces on the true scary men.  What is the saying about, “I have seen the enemy and he is me.”  The more W stated we would not change for the actions of the terrorists, this book shows how we changed and will never be the same.  Humpty Dumpty comes to mind.  Do not read this book if you still believe the politicians and Executive branch have your best interests at heart.

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Hitler’s Silent Partners
Swiss Banks, Nazi Gold, and the Pursuit of Justice
By Isabel Vincent

Don’t even walk in the same part of the store where this book is sold. I take that back, if you want something to put you to sleep by without the benefit of drugs, have at it.

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McMafia
A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld
By Misha Glenny

A very good book if one wants to look into the criminal world in other Eastern European countries and how it affects other countries around the world.  The book is very detailed and maintains a good flow of information to keep you interested.