Author: Frank O'Connell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637631081
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 335
Book Description
Super charge your business and career with Frank O’Connell’s unconventional approach to success. Jump First, Think Fast is the perfect guide for anyone in business or leadership who wants to dive in headfirst, think on their feet, and gain a competitive edge. Frank O’Connell explores success as a process of risk-taking and chasing the unknown, accepting failure and knowing yourself inside and out. A business visionary, O’Connell has transformed some of the biggest brands in the world—including leading product revolutions at Reebok, HBO Video, SkyBox, Gibson Greetings, and Indian Motorcycles. Sharing his stories, passion, and proven management methods, O’Connell fosters an unconventional approach to innovation, encouraging people to voice the crazy ideas that will invigorate their businesses and careers. Jump First, Think Fast is a unique blend of personal experiences, business strategies, and mentoring advice based on O’Connell’s phenomenal achievements and his 50+ years on the front lines of leadership, strategy, sales, and marketing. Far from yet another self-help book for professionals, Jump First, Think Fast throws light on O’Connell’s breakthrough concepts, urging readers to think entirely differently, trust their instincts, and enjoy the ride. If you’re ready to super charge your business, career, and life. Jump First, Think Fast is the book for you. Order your copy today.
Jump First, Think Fast
Author: Frank O'Connell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637631081
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 335
Book Description
Super charge your business and career with Frank O’Connell’s unconventional approach to success. Jump First, Think Fast is the perfect guide for anyone in business or leadership who wants to dive in headfirst, think on their feet, and gain a competitive edge. Frank O’Connell explores success as a process of risk-taking and chasing the unknown, accepting failure and knowing yourself inside and out. A business visionary, O’Connell has transformed some of the biggest brands in the world—including leading product revolutions at Reebok, HBO Video, SkyBox, Gibson Greetings, and Indian Motorcycles. Sharing his stories, passion, and proven management methods, O’Connell fosters an unconventional approach to innovation, encouraging people to voice the crazy ideas that will invigorate their businesses and careers. Jump First, Think Fast is a unique blend of personal experiences, business strategies, and mentoring advice based on O’Connell’s phenomenal achievements and his 50+ years on the front lines of leadership, strategy, sales, and marketing. Far from yet another self-help book for professionals, Jump First, Think Fast throws light on O’Connell’s breakthrough concepts, urging readers to think entirely differently, trust their instincts, and enjoy the ride. If you’re ready to super charge your business, career, and life. Jump First, Think Fast is the book for you. Order your copy today.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637631081
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 335
Book Description
Super charge your business and career with Frank O’Connell’s unconventional approach to success. Jump First, Think Fast is the perfect guide for anyone in business or leadership who wants to dive in headfirst, think on their feet, and gain a competitive edge. Frank O’Connell explores success as a process of risk-taking and chasing the unknown, accepting failure and knowing yourself inside and out. A business visionary, O’Connell has transformed some of the biggest brands in the world—including leading product revolutions at Reebok, HBO Video, SkyBox, Gibson Greetings, and Indian Motorcycles. Sharing his stories, passion, and proven management methods, O’Connell fosters an unconventional approach to innovation, encouraging people to voice the crazy ideas that will invigorate their businesses and careers. Jump First, Think Fast is a unique blend of personal experiences, business strategies, and mentoring advice based on O’Connell’s phenomenal achievements and his 50+ years on the front lines of leadership, strategy, sales, and marketing. Far from yet another self-help book for professionals, Jump First, Think Fast throws light on O’Connell’s breakthrough concepts, urging readers to think entirely differently, trust their instincts, and enjoy the ride. If you’re ready to super charge your business, career, and life. Jump First, Think Fast is the book for you. Order your copy today.
Jump First, Think Fast
Author: Frank J. O'Connell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637631073
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
Frank J. O’Connell is the original millennial, and in his book Jump First, Think Fast he shares how he blazed a trail of innovation for some of the biggest brands in American business. Frank O’Connell grew up as a farm boy in a small town of 2,000 in Ovid, New York, where he drove tractors, sold eggs, and won prizes at 4H Fairs. He learned the value of hard work from his mother, who told him that he could surpass everyone by outworking them. Because of the values instilled in him, Frank went on to live an outsized life as a corporate chieftain. For more than fifty years, Frank has helmed such companies as Reebok, Fox Video Games, HBO Video, SkyBox, Gibson Greetings, and Indian Motorcycles. Frank has led major consumer product revolutions, including Innovative food products, video games, video tapes, the Reebok Pump, collectibles, toys, greeting cards, action figures, and the iconic Indian Motorcycle. A student of hard work and business who learned his craft on the front lines of sales and marketing, Frank knew that the right thing to do was to Jump First and then Think Fast. In his book, he shares his personal stories, business strategies, his passion for mentoring, and proven methods for management. Jump First, Think Fast details Frank’s many business successes – as well as some failures – in an honest and forthright way. Jump First, Think Fast is for those who want to think differently about business and learn how to find their place, trust their instincts, and enjoy the ride from a successful CEO’s stories, lessons, and life moments.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637631073
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
Frank J. O’Connell is the original millennial, and in his book Jump First, Think Fast he shares how he blazed a trail of innovation for some of the biggest brands in American business. Frank O’Connell grew up as a farm boy in a small town of 2,000 in Ovid, New York, where he drove tractors, sold eggs, and won prizes at 4H Fairs. He learned the value of hard work from his mother, who told him that he could surpass everyone by outworking them. Because of the values instilled in him, Frank went on to live an outsized life as a corporate chieftain. For more than fifty years, Frank has helmed such companies as Reebok, Fox Video Games, HBO Video, SkyBox, Gibson Greetings, and Indian Motorcycles. Frank has led major consumer product revolutions, including Innovative food products, video games, video tapes, the Reebok Pump, collectibles, toys, greeting cards, action figures, and the iconic Indian Motorcycle. A student of hard work and business who learned his craft on the front lines of sales and marketing, Frank knew that the right thing to do was to Jump First and then Think Fast. In his book, he shares his personal stories, business strategies, his passion for mentoring, and proven methods for management. Jump First, Think Fast details Frank’s many business successes – as well as some failures – in an honest and forthright way. Jump First, Think Fast is for those who want to think differently about business and learn how to find their place, trust their instincts, and enjoy the ride from a successful CEO’s stories, lessons, and life moments.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Author: Daniel Kahneman
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1429969350
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 511
Book Description
*Major New York Times Bestseller *More than 2.6 million copies sold *One of The New York Times Book Review's ten best books of the year *Selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best nonfiction books of the year *Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient *Daniel Kahneman's work with Amos Tversky is the subject of Michael Lewis's best-selling The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds In his mega bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, world-famous psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Topping bestseller lists for almost ten years, Thinking, Fast and Slow is a contemporary classic, an essential book that has changed the lives of millions of readers.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1429969350
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 511
Book Description
*Major New York Times Bestseller *More than 2.6 million copies sold *One of The New York Times Book Review's ten best books of the year *Selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best nonfiction books of the year *Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient *Daniel Kahneman's work with Amos Tversky is the subject of Michael Lewis's best-selling The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds In his mega bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, world-famous psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Topping bestseller lists for almost ten years, Thinking, Fast and Slow is a contemporary classic, an essential book that has changed the lives of millions of readers.
Think Fast Or Die
Author: Simon W. Clark
Publisher: Ink & Quill Publishers
ISBN: 9781948266017
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
Rick Jensen, a deep-cover operative for the CIA, stares death in the face every day... Inside the perils and politics of the Middle East, Rick's learned to keep everyone at a distance--for even an ally can be bought. Left to his wits and uncanny ability to detect even the slightest trail, by a country that can never acknowledge his existence, there is only one way to survive--think fast.
Publisher: Ink & Quill Publishers
ISBN: 9781948266017
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
Rick Jensen, a deep-cover operative for the CIA, stares death in the face every day... Inside the perils and politics of the Middle East, Rick's learned to keep everyone at a distance--for even an ally can be bought. Left to his wits and uncanny ability to detect even the slightest trail, by a country that can never acknowledge his existence, there is only one way to survive--think fast.
The First 20 Hours
Author: Josh Kaufman
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Make It To the Top
Author: Payal Nanjiani
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1040114156
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 132
Book Description
You are working hard. You are sustaining your job. You are doing well in your field. Life seems fine. But there is something that’s holding you back from making it to the top in your field of work. That something could be an annoying habit, a behaviour, or a trait that’s getting you stuck in your career. All of us want promotions and salary increases. We desire to make it to the top. But most of us don't realize that these things cannot be asked for by putting our hands out. You can get that promotion, the salary raise, the new project, the visibility, the sponsors, the accolades, and the achievements only when you work on yourself harder than you work on your job. You must become such that success, promotion, and job offers begin to follow you everywhere. In this book, Payal Nanjiani points out that the reason why many do not make it to the top is not because of a lack of information, abilities or skills. Having private access to some of the world's most successful industry leaders, she tells you that those who truly make it to the top in their careers are doing things differently than others. An expert coach, who helps leaders globally overcome their unconscious habits and behaviours to attain higher levels of success, she has worked with corporates and leaders around the globe bringing about a huge transformation in the thinking and behaviours of leaders. Her one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag. But in this book, Payal shares some great advice and strategic solutions to reach the top without a hefty price tag. The book has hands-on advice on what to do, how to do it, and what transformation to bring about in your thinking and habits. These ideas, powers, and habits have been tested in practice on numerous executives Payal has coached in the past eighteen years and are helpful to people in every part of the organization. We all face challenges and deal with setbacks. But in the long run, you'll achieve incredible growth and success if you're willing to change your thinking and behaviours. Are you ready to unlock your leadership powers and live your best life?
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1040114156
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 132
Book Description
You are working hard. You are sustaining your job. You are doing well in your field. Life seems fine. But there is something that’s holding you back from making it to the top in your field of work. That something could be an annoying habit, a behaviour, or a trait that’s getting you stuck in your career. All of us want promotions and salary increases. We desire to make it to the top. But most of us don't realize that these things cannot be asked for by putting our hands out. You can get that promotion, the salary raise, the new project, the visibility, the sponsors, the accolades, and the achievements only when you work on yourself harder than you work on your job. You must become such that success, promotion, and job offers begin to follow you everywhere. In this book, Payal Nanjiani points out that the reason why many do not make it to the top is not because of a lack of information, abilities or skills. Having private access to some of the world's most successful industry leaders, she tells you that those who truly make it to the top in their careers are doing things differently than others. An expert coach, who helps leaders globally overcome their unconscious habits and behaviours to attain higher levels of success, she has worked with corporates and leaders around the globe bringing about a huge transformation in the thinking and behaviours of leaders. Her one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag. But in this book, Payal shares some great advice and strategic solutions to reach the top without a hefty price tag. The book has hands-on advice on what to do, how to do it, and what transformation to bring about in your thinking and habits. These ideas, powers, and habits have been tested in practice on numerous executives Payal has coached in the past eighteen years and are helpful to people in every part of the organization. We all face challenges and deal with setbacks. But in the long run, you'll achieve incredible growth and success if you're willing to change your thinking and behaviours. Are you ready to unlock your leadership powers and live your best life?
The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Publisher: Celadon Books
ISBN: 1250301718
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
Publisher: Celadon Books
ISBN: 1250301718
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded
Author: Michael D. Watkins
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 1422191397
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
The world’s most trusted guide for leaders in transition Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. In this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today’s increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs. By walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. You’ll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. Each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation. Whether you’re starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as CEO, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. Use this book as your trusted guide.
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 1422191397
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
The world’s most trusted guide for leaders in transition Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. In this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today’s increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs. By walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. You’ll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. Each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation. Whether you’re starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as CEO, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. Use this book as your trusted guide.
Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451635818
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
Told in their separate voices, sixteen-year-old Prince Oliver, who wants to break free of his fairy-tale existence, and fifteen-year-old Delilah, a loner obsessed with Prince Oliver and the book in which he exists, work together to seek his freedom.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451635818
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
Told in their separate voices, sixteen-year-old Prince Oliver, who wants to break free of his fairy-tale existence, and fifteen-year-old Delilah, a loner obsessed with Prince Oliver and the book in which he exists, work together to seek his freedom.
Surprise, Kill, Vanish
Author: Annie Jacobsen
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316441406
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 560
Book Description
From Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen, the untold USA Today bestselling story of the CIA's secret paramilitary units. Surprise . . . your target. Kill . . . your enemy. Vanish . . . without a trace. When diplomacy fails, and war is unwise, the president calls on the CIA's Special Activities Division, a highly-classified branch of the CIA and the most effective, black operations force in the world. Originally known as the president's guerrilla warfare corps, SAD conducts risky and ruthless operations that have evolved over time to defend America from its enemies. Almost every American president since World War II has asked the CIA to conduct sabotage, subversion and, yes, assassination. With unprecedented access to forty-two men and women who proudly and secretly worked on CIA covert operations from the dawn of the Cold War to the present day, along with declassified documents and deep historical research, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen unveils -- like never before -- a complex world of individuals working in treacherous environments populated with killers, connivers, and saboteurs. Despite Hollywood notions of off-book operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually one piece in a colossal foreign policy machine. Written with the pacing of a thriller, Surprise, Kill, Vanish brings to vivid life the sheer pandemonium and chaos, as well as the unforgettable human will to survive and the intellectual challenge of not giving up hope that define paramilitary and intelligence work. Jacobsen's exclusive interviews -- with members of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (equivalent to the Pentagon's generals), its counterterrorism chiefs, targeting officers, and Special Activities Division's Ground Branch operators who conduct today's close-quarters killing operations around the world -- reveal, for the first time, the enormity of this shocking, controversial, and morally complex terrain. Is the CIA's paramilitary army America's weaponized strength, or a liability to its principled standing in the world? Every operation reported in this book, however unsettling, is legal.
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316441406
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 560
Book Description
From Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen, the untold USA Today bestselling story of the CIA's secret paramilitary units. Surprise . . . your target. Kill . . . your enemy. Vanish . . . without a trace. When diplomacy fails, and war is unwise, the president calls on the CIA's Special Activities Division, a highly-classified branch of the CIA and the most effective, black operations force in the world. Originally known as the president's guerrilla warfare corps, SAD conducts risky and ruthless operations that have evolved over time to defend America from its enemies. Almost every American president since World War II has asked the CIA to conduct sabotage, subversion and, yes, assassination. With unprecedented access to forty-two men and women who proudly and secretly worked on CIA covert operations from the dawn of the Cold War to the present day, along with declassified documents and deep historical research, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen unveils -- like never before -- a complex world of individuals working in treacherous environments populated with killers, connivers, and saboteurs. Despite Hollywood notions of off-book operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually one piece in a colossal foreign policy machine. Written with the pacing of a thriller, Surprise, Kill, Vanish brings to vivid life the sheer pandemonium and chaos, as well as the unforgettable human will to survive and the intellectual challenge of not giving up hope that define paramilitary and intelligence work. Jacobsen's exclusive interviews -- with members of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (equivalent to the Pentagon's generals), its counterterrorism chiefs, targeting officers, and Special Activities Division's Ground Branch operators who conduct today's close-quarters killing operations around the world -- reveal, for the first time, the enormity of this shocking, controversial, and morally complex terrain. Is the CIA's paramilitary army America's weaponized strength, or a liability to its principled standing in the world? Every operation reported in this book, however unsettling, is legal.