Government Agencies Books

I have read all of Beverly Jenkins' books that I can find, the historical as well as the drama. She is an awesome writer and keeps you in suspense. Her plots are well thought out and well written. Her love scenes are tender and erotic. I am going to ensure that my granddaughter reads all of her books so she will know how a man should treat a woman. How a black man should treat a woman. She is great. I can't wait for more of her books.

This book had my heart racing. Sarita is a very strong, compassionate, stubborn, plainspoken, and driven woman. She is the epitome of a strong black woman. She and Mykal are perfect for each other. What a man, what a man that Mykal is. All I can do is *sigh.* When they are together, it's like the sun meeting the sky, very intense and beautiful. Read this book and you will see a very powerful suspenseful love story unfold.

Man I wish I read this trilogy in order. Anyway I enjoyed this novel alot although the storyline didn't have the fast-paced, edge of your seat excitement that "Dawn" had. Here's another woman that's strong, independent and full of class and here's a man that's arrogant, bossy, kinda full of himself..and they make a dynamite couple. There were two incidents in the story that made laugh out loud: the part where Mykal threw Sarita over his shoulder while she was kicking and screaming and smacked her on the behind all while the members of NIA watched, then further along in the story Mykal took Sarita shopping at an upscale mall for lingerie but she wanted to go to Sears instead. The secondary characters were interesting and fun and at the end of the book where Mykal's grandmother makes an appearance was endearing. Well, two super fine (half) brothers down (Mykal & Saint) one more to go (Drake).

I can't help it. I love Beverly Jenkins. She truly knows how to write. Whether it's historical romance or contemporary romance she knows how to tell a story. I can't say enough about her. She's awesome. I love how she ties in her historical characters to the present characters, that makes it even better to me. I have almost all of her books and I love them all. Keep it up Beverly.

If you have not read any thing by Beverly Jenkins, then this can be a great place to start. Sarita Grayson is the director of a Detroit Community Center that is on the verge of being closed due to lack of money. Sarita decides to help a local drug dealer that ultimately puts her in danger in more ways than one. Mykal Chandler is artichete, rich and handsome. He is also the head of a covert government operation called NIA. Little did Sarita or Mykal know that their paths would cross and the fireworks that ignite.

This is the first in a series of contemporary novels written by Ms. Jenkins. It is part mystery and romance novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. She has given each character unique flavor, sass and humor that guides the story. She also included history and connection to favorites from the historical novels. No one has mastered a love scene in quite that same way as Ms. Jenkins has.

This is the fourth time I have read this book and each time I find something new and exciting. !!! Thanks Ms. Bev.

Peace and Blessings!!

I was hoping for a lot with a 5 star amzn rating but unfortunately I only got through half of the book because it failed to meet those expectations. I was hoping for a technical presentation of clandestine affairs. If the author was going to describe a particular stakeout and audio operation I was hoping it would be presented with maps, technical layouts, and diagrams of devices such that the detail would justify another book in this area. What I got was a shallow examination of multiple operations where little information was divulged and most of the drama centered around the departments lack of preparation and eventual overcoming of their technical shortfalls through private industry or industrious tech.
I was hoping to read a book about the technicalities of the operation not a book where i had to flip back and forth to the appendix to look up the abundant acronyms used and where I would go pages just reading about the cia's lack of preparation. occasional stories were interesting but would likely not be new to anyone versed in the subject.

I skimread this book, I admit it. Sections were so dry, I just couldn't deal with it. I needed a good mix of the technical and the real-world.

It broke my heart that so much time and effort was needed to get to a place where our Soviet informants could share info, only to be ruined by Hanssen.

Meantime, I roared at the stories of the agents desperately experimenting with inflatable sex-toy women as possible "doubles" for car passengers who had bailed from a car moments before.... and the stories of what was involved in trying to buy bulk numbers of inflatable person-shaped anythings for experimentation as body doubles. THAT tickled me enormously. The ultimate details of why this double was needed, the misery of what the real human would be doing in the meantime, grim grim stuff. James Bond movies have done us all a big disservice. The real spy world is anything but glamorous stuff.

I am in awe and forever grateful to those who stuck it out to get a few seconds of eavesdropped conversation, a page of forbidden blueprints. Thank you guys. I get what you did, what years you sacrified.

Oh, and, yeah, I will no longer be impressed by people who think it's clever and antidisestablishment to sneak over and hang out in Cuba as tourists, having read the detail of the Cuba prison system. Horrific stuff.

SPYCRAFT is the book, every lay person should read. This book shows that good intelligence work rather than being glamorous, can be a tedious and perilous occupation that involves pain-staking preparation. Intelligence means gathering necessary information for policy makers to make realistic and level-headed decisions. With provided intelligence, policy makers can take steps to prevent disasters from occurring or global conflict from taking place.

While reconnaissance satellites can show what physical movements are taken by nations and NGOs, HUMINT or human intelligence is needed by policy makers to decide if a bluff is being made or deterrence will be required. SPYCRAFT shows how the CIA has used innovation and daring in the gathering and transmitting of HUMINT. The innovation of inventing tools is used for gathering and transmitting of intelligence. The personal risk involved usually doesn't involve gun-play or some melodramatic heroism. Personal risk is about not getting caught and taking personal risk to protect a source or helping an exposed source from deadly reprisal.

Too often, the public sees the Central Intelligence Agency as later day Keystone Kops or Americanized versions of James Bond. Neither stereotype is accurate. SPYCRAFT demonstrates that the people who work at the CIA are everyday Americans who have decided to take up the cause of maintaining the peace by sustaining a professional intelligence organization.

I have known Bob Wallace since we were 3rd graders in neighboring communities in Lincoln and Ottawa Counties, Kansas. We competed against one another in team sports throughout our grade school and high school days and were teammates for several years of summer baseball for Home Oil Company, Barnard, Kansas. I had not seen Bob since 1962 or perhaps a few years later, but I kept track of him through one of his cousins who happens to be my brother-in-law. Clearly, Bob is an outstanding individual whose accomplishments (those he can discuss, let alone those known only to a select few with the highest of security clearances) are incredible. It is almost unbelievable to me that this tough farm boy, who used to pigeon-toe out to the mound from behind home plate in dusty sweat-soaked catcher's regalia to counsel me about my side-arm deliveries, went on to become one of our nation's top CIA officials.

I ordered a copy of Spycraft months before its release and read it with great interest. I learned more about clandestine service and specific case histories than I had ever anticipated. I guess it had not occurred to me that the techies didn't just do a quick orientation for the end user and go on to the next new thing. Also surprising was the candor with which Bob described the agonizing process of getting this book approved by the CIA. My having known Bob since early childhood permitted me to ascribe the highest credibility to this account of key events and inventions involving spies and spytechs.

I had the privilege of being Bob's guest at a presentation he made to a local fraternal organization a few days after Spycraft was released. He signed my copy of the book and bemusedly asked me my favorite part (was this a test to see if I had read it?) Near the end of his presentation, I think he set the stage for the next few chapters of a yet unwritten update someone may write in a decade or two. Bob responded to the last question of his Q & A, inquiring whether even more refined and amazing gadgets were currently being developed and used in the field. He could not answer except to say that the gadgets described in the book were developed up into the 90's and with the passage of a number of years one need only use imagination to extrapolate from then until now. My parting comment to Bob in an email after the luncheon was that I hoped we lived long enough for him to write and me to read his memoir. In the meantime, I am content to use my imagination to insert him into the book here and there when he quotes one of the old hands or an unnamed station chief--who knows; could be???

Having read and enjoyed Spycraft, I expected it to garner solid reviews. However, I am quite surprised to see that until now, it's received 100% five-star reviews. I've almost never seen a book reviewed this favorably and I've certainly read better books with more mixed reviews.

Don't get me wrong, Spycraft is a good book. It allows its reader behind a curtain into a world that is typically strictly off-limits. You get to experience the real-world existence of spies living and working secretly behind enemy lines. The book reveals a lot of the technology used by spies, focusing in on listening devices, cameras and communication devices. What stands out is the ingenuity and craftsmanship that goes into the creation of the devices upon which people stake their lives.

While the book is written about spy technology, what I found to be the most surprising from the book was the the amount of time and effort invested in some of the CIA's covert operations. Often times, years are spent establishing credible cover or doing piecemeal research about a target to avoid drawing attention. 100% of some peoples' living patterns are built around an operational necessity that takes up only the smallest percentage their time. It's truly amazing to read about the sacrifices made to achieve an intelligence payoff.

There is a problem, however, the book reads unexpectedly dull. I'm sure this is an outgrowth of the fact that real CIA operatives have to be consummate professionals and not suave, womanizing James Bond-types, but it takes away from the book. I am not implying in any way that anything should be fabricated or embellished to add to the excitement, but instead that the story is inherently exciting and that the writing should have reflected that more even if the author's demeanor is necessarily even-keeled.

A great book, but exciting stories get told in a seemingly Prozac-tamed manner. I recommend this one highly, but it could have been better still.

This is an excellent and much needed book. Gray Lynch courageaously takes on the JFK apologists and lays it all out so folks can see what really happened at the Bay of Pigs. His front-line service with the Brigade during the invasion gives the account credibility. As a CIA operative attached to the exiles he had first-hand knowledge of the planning and decison making that led to its failure. Lynch doesn't mince words either, he clearly articulates where the blame lies - at the feet of JFK and his administration. The account is from his actions during the initial landings and later while running operations from one of the transport ships that made up the exile force. Consequently, you won't get much coverage of the battles on the ground. However, he does an excellent job of giving the reader the overall picture and all the events that led to the failure. He also provides some interesting observations about the battle and some of its participants that I had not seen before. In the final couple of chapters he superbly blows away all the people that cast the blame on the CIA or the exiles in an attempt to cover up the true culprits. You'll come to realize how politicized the whole project became once Kennedy and the Democrats took over in 1960 and how their cowardly approach to foreign policy finally led to the betrayal of Brigade 2506. This is a quick, easy, yet powerful read that helps to dispel the conventional wisdom that has been developed about the incident. Basically, a well-planned opportunity to remove Castro from power was squandered due to politics, cowardice, and betrayal.

Grayston Lynch was one of two American "advisors" who stormed the Bay of Pigs with the 2506 Assault Brigade on April 17, 1961. In Decision for Disaster, Lynch attempts to set the record straight on what caused the mission to fail. He offers a unique perspective in that his position privileged him to the inner happenings of CIA and White House planning, yet he can also give a firsthand account of the battle itself, having fired the first shots of the invasion himself. Lynch is clearly not content in the contemporary historical account of the Bay of Pigs, proclaiming in the preface that "the true story has never been told, until now." Lynch goes on to tell his story with reasoned contempt for Castro and Camelot, and a deep reverence for the 2506 Assault Brigade.

Lynch became a player in the Bay of Pigs in December 1960. The Texan had just retired from a 22 year career with the US Army, most recently as the captain of a US Army Special Forces A-Team in Laos. He had seen combat and was wounded at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. He was awarded two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star with Valor. The Cuban cause was something that Lynch took to heart; even after the Bay of Pigs he continued to play a major role in anti-Castro commando raids. His decision to write this book now came from the recent passing away of his fellow "advisor" William "Rip" Robertson and the declassification of items essential to the telling of the story. Besides using his first-hand account, Lynch enlisted the knowledge of commanding officers and 2506 Assault Brigade survivors in writing this book.

Lynch had his book published by Potomac Books which was founded in 1983 as a part of British publishing house Brassey's. Since this books publishing, Potomac was purchased by American book distributor Books International. Potomac has strong roots in military history, but has broadened its range to include general history, world affairs, foreign policy, intelligence, memoirs, biographies, and even sports. Its most successful book to date was Michael Scheuer's American Hubris. Potomac's usual offerings come with a strong dose of realism backed with a healthy dose of knowledge and first hand experience; Decision for Disaster is no exception.

Lynch gets off to a rough start in his account. He attempts to weave together several concurrent stories that will eventually lead to the invasion. A difficult enough task by itself, he attempts to do it as a flashback story while on his voyage to invade Cuba. This continued flashback-fastforward-recollection-juxtaposition can give the reader a mild case of mental whiplash. His constant foreshadowing and alluding to the invasion gave me a strong case of deja vu by the time he was invading in real time. However, whatever Lynch lacks in authorship, he makes up for in laying out an intriguing fact-laden journey through all relevant events leading up to the invasion.

One of the stories Lynch tells exceedingly well in the build up to the invasion is Castro's initial revolutionary undertakings in Cuba. Lynch robs any Bolivarian Romanticism from Castro's invasion, likening him and his cohorts more to a buffoonish F-Troop, who shortly after arriving are gunned down from eighty-three men to twelve. What is especially amazing is that through some perfect storm of idiot journalism, Congressional nativity, and Batista's yellow belliedness, Castro still somehow manages to seize power in two years time. This is something that the US backed 2506 Assault Brigade would fail to do.

When all members of the invasion force meet in Nicaragua, Decision for Disaster takes off. From here Lynch takes command of the story and tells it with an earnestness and humorous wit that allows the reader to experience a real empathy for him and the 2506 Assault Brigade. The story that follows is so outlandish and multi-dimensional that it left me wondering why fictional war stories exist. The politicking, bravery, cowardice, mutiny, and chance that make up the Bay of Pigs invasion is mind numbing. There is no way an academic or bureaucrat could deliver a better synopsis of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

All good stories have a villain, and Decision for Disaster's is not who you might think. Though Lynch makes no doubt about his contempt of Castro, he dismisses him as a thuggish opportunist who only reigns due to the failing of our true villain: JFK. Lynch begins his case against Kennedy during his presidential race with Nixon. He quotes Kennedy arguing with Nixon, "If you can't stand up to Castro, how can you stand up to Khrushchev?" Kennedy played this weakness card throughout the election, and was befuddled to learn of the extensive invasion plan already in place when he arrived in office. From here, Lynch documents action after action that Kennedy takes to push the project closer and closer to failure. Against the heeds of all military advisors, Kennedy relocates the invasion spot, restricts Air Force use, and delays the project enough to allow Castro to receive his first shipment of Soviet tanks and arms.

What is especially frustrating about Kennedy's actions is that not only did they doom the invasion, but they did absolutely nothing to meet his misguided intention of hiding the obvious US involvement. Kennedy's inexcusable pussyfooting around the invasion offers a case example of what happens when the US tries to placate international concerns. A more Machiavellian approach, using overwhelming power to achieve decisive victory, would have brought success and avoided the missile crises that followed due to its failure. Lynch succeeds in painting Kennedy as an incompetent boob, who should be held ultimately responsible for the deaths and loss of American respect that resulted from the Bay of Pigs fiasco. For those who would like to place blame elsewhere, Lynch starts his book with the following quote, "For the greatest enemy of truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, pervasive, and unrealistic". This is quoted from none other than JFK himself.

Decision for Disaster is an excellent book that succeeds in telling the story in a believable manner. There is no circular logic or excuses made in Lynch's book. His humbleness while telling the story makes it clear that he has no agenda outside of relating the story as it should be told. Though Lynch occasionally stumbles to tell his story coherently in the beginning, he builds enough momentum through humor and insightfulness that it is easily overlooked. With Decision for Disaster, Lynch offers a great opportunity to relive the macrocosm of the Bay of Pigs with a genuine and witty tour guide, highly recommended.

I share the author Lynch's disgust for the attitude of John F. Kennedy and how he treated the Cuban exiles. In his campaign, Kennedy stated he would pay any price for freedom. He also chided Nixon about being tough on Castro. When it gets his turn to decide, he waffles on how to deal with Castro. He dumps the 2506 brigade on the beach and then refuses them air support either from the exile aircraft or U.S. aircraft. He states it would give a bad impression in the world.

Fortunately Kennedy toughened up in a year and faced down the Soviets and Cubans. He would not have had to if he would have supported the Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs. Lynch details his work in the Cuban exiles training. He also details the exploits of the brave 2506 Brigade and their heroic defense. The U.S. should have supported these people more forcefully.

This book is definitely an eye opener. I remember as a child my father telling me of the cover-ups and distortions created by the Kennedy administration. The real truth about what happened at the Bay of Pigs is finally out. JFK's mistake caused untold missery to millions of people. Not just Cubans, but also Nicaraguans, Guatemalans, Colombians, and now Venezuelans. Cubans, and Americans as a whole, should be extemely grateful to Mr. Grayston Lynch for writing this book. I know I am. Thank you, thank you Mr. Lynch.

This is an excellent book. Finally an author speaks out against "Camelot." America's love affair with the Kennedys is sickening. The CIA has gotten a bum rep because of the Bay of Pigs and this book finally points the finger in the right direction

This is an excellent work on intelligence analysis, but is not for the layman. Mr. Clark is up front about his target audience, so I went into it knowing that I might struggle a bit. He routinely uses terms and refers to concepts that are somewhat obscure, a glossary would create a huge improvement. But the effort invested in reading this was well rewarded.

The title; "Intelligence Analysis: A Target-centric Approach" is misleading. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the entire intelligence process from collecting information to the civil and military leaders using the product of analysis in their decision process, not just "Intelligence Analysis". "Target-centric" analysis sounds very impressive, but it is more a reflection of LTC (ret) Clark's Air Force roots, and a rebuke to intelligence in support of political agendae than a new concept for analysis. The content of the book doesn't suffer at all, but some potential readers might be put off by this.

The use of diverse and fairly well cited examples (I assume the uncited ones are first-hand information for the author?) made this an excellent read, but some of the examples could benefit from clarification as to whether or not they're notional. The entire intelligence process is descibed, along with some of the bureaucratic idiosyncrosies that created some of the confusing arrangements of agencies and nomenclature. The specifics of analytical methods were excellent. I thought the discussion of link analysis for describing social networks was excellent, but he neglected to point out that sociologists use the same tools and methods in their research, as do investigative reporters. Again, it could have benefited from some clarification (like the difference between covert and clandestine, and the inconsistent use of operational level and tactical level) but this was, at worst, a trivial distractor from his main point.

His main point was the need for collaboration between all the concerned parties; intelligence collectors, analysts, and the decision-makers that use it. He discussed an illustrated the problem at length and certainly makes his case. I was intrigued though. He seems to be personally struggling with some of the underlying issues like chaotic, nonlinear, and non-hierarchical issues and organizations facing our nation. Despite this, he is doing the right thing and acting as a proponent for a radical revision of our structure rather than trying to pound in post 9/11 screws with a Cold War rock, and he certainly has earned my personal respect for that.

This is an excellent work and should be read by any responsible citizen with desire to better understand the workings of the process behind our national policy decisions (but be prepared to do a lot of supporting reading if you're not a member of Clark's world).

E. M. Van Court

Actually, theory was made from experience of real world. But, when we try to adjust it to real world, it isn't always available. Because during the book was wriitten, the real world was being changed. This book was wriiten by the authors who have experience of Intelligence community and they regreted not to protect attack of terrorists. (i.e. 9/11) I recommend this book them who have seek to the way to keep the security of nation.

Robert M. Clark's "Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach" is an up-to-date, practical manual on the conduct of analysis in the context of the current global war on terrorism. This manual is well suited for classroom use for intelligence professionals, whether in the military, in civilian government agencies, or private industry.

Clark divides his topic into three principal sections. In the first, he provides a detailed break-down of the target-centric approach as the collaborative, interactive, information network-enabled analysis that has replaced the hierarchial stovepipe architecture of the Cold War.

In the second section, on modeling, Clark explains in clear and understandable language the process by which analysts synthesize available information into a conceptualization of the intelligence problem. This key step produces the basis to which analysts will apply predictive analysis.

The heart of the book is Clark's exploration of the techniques and potential pitfalls of predictive analysis. Clark discusses a variety of methods to approach analysis, along with their practical limits and familar challenges such as bias and customer interaction. His liberal use of examples from recent intelligence failures help make clear just what a challenging combination of art, science, and team effort good intelligence analysis should be.

This book is not without some faults. His definitions of Strategic, Operational, and Tactical intelligence are imprecise and not those commonly in use in, for example, the Department of Defense. Strategic intelligence is better defined by the level of the customer served and not by whether it is long range or short range. Similarly, his breakdown of the standard intelligence disciplines achieves simplicity at the expense of considerable accuracy. As an example, his explanation of TECHINT confuses the acquisition of foreign materials with their actual exploitation for intelligence value. It should be noted in Clark's defense that the U.S. Intelligence Community lacks standardization, which fault contributes to the challenges of collaboration.

This book is very highly recommended to intelligence professionals interested in a systematic and unclassified exploration of the techniques of good analysis.

This is a great book and necessary for anyone who wishes to really focus and direct thier thinking on a tactical and operational level. Although more of a government/ military oriented book, I can see some real world applications as well dealing with planning and organizing a plan of attack for any problem an organization is dealing with.

Most books about intelligence end up being boring discussions about the intelligence cycle or intelligence sources and never get to the heart of the process. Clark begins with a brief discussion about the intelligence process, but quickly focuses on why it is important to accurately define the problem that you are trying to assess. This step is often missed, even by seasoned intelligence analysts, who frequently leave many of their assumptions unclarified. Clark uses many references to actual historical case studies to make valid points about common failure tendencies. The real value of this book is in the area of predictions. Clark states rather emphatically that "(D)escribing a past event is not intelligence analysis; it is history. The highest form of intelligence analysis requires structured thinking that results in a prediction of what is likely to happen. True intelligence analysis is always predictive". He goes on to dedicate a sizeable share of remainder of the book to predictive techniques. Many who claim to be intelligence officers do not employ the predictive techniques describes in this book. Intelligence folks have a propensity to gravitate to current intelligence and retell what has already been told, while neglecting to take on the challenging task of predicting what is next. This is one of the best overview books on intelligence analysis. Highly recommended reading.

This book presents you with a step by step marketing plan template and clearly defines and explains what is the concept and the importance of each step in the plan. This is a great book for anyone in the public sector who has no marketing experience or background and is a great review for someone who does.

"Marketing in the Public Sector" by Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee provides ideas and advice on proven techniques for those in the public sector that reach and benefit the common good of the public.

There are three parts and 13 chapters. There are very specific and detailed sub-chapters within the main chapters, and they are listed in the table of contents.

1. Improving Public Sector Performance by Seizing Opportunities....
2. Understanding the Marketing Mindset
3. Developing and Enhancing Popular Programs and Services
4. Setting Motivating Prices, Incentives, and Disincentives
5. Optimizing Distribution Channels
6. Creating and Maintaining Desired Brand Identity
7. Communicating Effectively with Key Public
8. Improving Customer Service and Satisfaction
9. Influencing Positive Public Behaviors: Social Marketing
10 Forming Strategic Partnerships
11 Gathering Citizen Data, Input, and Feedback
12 Monitoring and Evaluating Performance
13 Developing a Compelling Marketing Plan

There are numerous real-life examples presented as case studies, basically.

One example in implementing information messages to the public is the Ad Council. The Ad Council is a private, nonprofit organization that taps volunteers from the communication and advertising industries to deliver governmental agency messages to the American public (p. 232). Not only must these messages be crafted well, but they do need to reach the targeted audience. There also has to be response. Response that can be statistically verified. The message is distinguished and emphasized so the target market audience knows about the campaign, believes they will experience the benefits promised, and thus are inspired to act upon it, or stop deleterious acts (p. 161). Like the private corporate media with its experience and sophistication, the government media is organized, tested, and methodical.

For the most part the term "methodical" is used in a good way. If there is a public message to be conveyed, it needs to be disseminated in the most optimum way. Many public messages are positive and conducive for the collective good of our communities. One example from many are the mascots such as Smokey the Bear for fire awareness, Mr. Yuck for poison labels, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Eddy Eagle for Gun Safety. These ad campaigns of course, are specifically targeted for children, yet also influence and remind parents to educate their kids on such potentially dangerous matters.

One doesn't need to be in the public sector to benefit from the information, case studies, and strategies in this book. The ideas can be used by many. There are dozens of pictures of ad samples and tables, and the index is comprehensive. Very good. Excellent for public administrators and students of Public Policy and Administration (PPA programs).

Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee encourage governments to learn from private sector marketing principles and techniques. It's a great idea, and they make a persuasive case that "social marketing" can change society, or at least certain aspects of it. The book is full of practical tips. Using examples from social marketing campaigns around the world, Kotler and Lee demonstrate how to apply basic marketing ideas in the public sector. Creative approaches have injected new life into many social programs, ranging from environmental awareness to customer service. We recommend this book to public officials and leaders of nonprofit organizations who are looking for new ways to educate their constituents.

The target audience for this particular book is government agencies. Inside you will find tools to get citizens involved with and supporting your agency, using your products and services, and how to influence public behaviors. The authors also include specific roadmaps to creating brand identity, gathering citizen input, and evaluating the results of your efforts. One of the better sections includes a how-to model for building an organization that is both high-tech and high-touch.

The book focuses on all levels of government agencies from the public servant trying to allocate scarce resources to governmental units trying to create social consensus to get things done. Loaded with lots of examples, Marketing in the Public Sector is required reading for governmental agencies.

At first glance you might think that this is a book on selling to the government. It isn't. This book is basically a primer, or a series of anecdotes or case studies where a governmental agency is attempting to sell their products or services to the public.

While we don't think of the government doing marketing, visit any Post Office and look at the ads plastered all over the place for everything from mailing supplies, to passports, to stamp collecting (where you buy a stamp from them and then don't use it for mailing - a lot of profit in that).

In addition to these actual products, there are a lot of stories about how the government wanted to influence behavior on the part of the citizens from litter campaigns (Don't Mess With Texas) to reducing drunk driving.

The intended audiance for this book seems to be organizations within the government who now need to communicate what they do, how well they do it, and influence behavior among the population. And that's the world population, not just the US.

A very clear and practical view of the Balanced Scorecard tool. The text has the right amount of theoretical background and gives very enlightening exemples and advice to those interested in this field. However most of the exemples comes from private sector and non-profit organizations. Little from government and armed-forces.
But in general terms this is an excelent book. I recommend it.

This book is informative and keeps your interest. Lots of case studies and examples. The author keeps the focus on why scorecards should be used and places emphasis on how to keep them useful.

Balanced Scorecards make lots of sense for the For-Profit world for which they were originally developed. What makes this book so good is that they have concentrated on what makes Non-Profits different and how to conceptualize how the BC works in that arena. The book is well written and easy to understand. It is a must for all non-profit execs.

Very helpful approach in developing a measuring tool for monitoring ministry growth and tracking to Vision.

Managers face competing interests in running a company. Their compensation programs are set to try and focus their performance, but if it is only set on revenue the company might end up losing money while paying the top executives big performance bonuses. If it is on net income, they can manipulate the accounting by cutting the heart out of future business, again, damaging the company while getting a big paycheck. If you put them on straight salary, you won't be able to hire most of the best talent. So, what do you do?

The Balanced Scorecard was originally created in the private sector to create management goals that, yes, balance a variety of factors. You use historical and industry data as well as current performance metrics. The interests of shareholders and stakeholders are also balanced in some way, as are any other combination of factors that can help managers get a better picture of what matters to the success of the company and the benefit of its owners, its employees, and its stakeholders.

This book takes this tool and shows you how to adapt it to public sector entities and nonprofit agencies. Paul Niven draws on his years of experience and shows you how to tweak the model and use it to increase your organization's effectiveness. He also takes us through the success story of Charlotte, North Carolina.

If you are interested in this model and are a governmental agency or a nonprofit organization, this is a fine resource.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Dancing in Shadows combines politics with personality. Benny Widyono creates a dynamic read in this memoir of the heady days following the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. All of the personalities and conflicting loyalties that make themselves known when the whole world comes to town (ie. UN) are in evidence here. What could be a dry record of past events is much tastier with Ambassador Widyono's wit and honesty. A must read for anyone interested in S. E. Asia.

As a undergraduate student of Cambodian history, this book was a personal must-read. Surprisingly, it isn't your typical dry historical accounting, it reads quite suspenseful at times, and one gets the feeling of being in Widyono's shoes, experiencing firsthand the lively political intrigues pitting together three powerful (yet flawed and insecure) personalities -- Sihanouk, Ranarridh, and Hun Sen. This book could very well be the definitive reference source for this under-reported and misunderstood period in Cambodian history.

Dr. Widyono gives us an insider's view into the complexities, suffering and political bargaining that transformed Cambodia. Through his book, we can now see what REALLY went on without the guise of political partisanship and propaganda. Although at the time, Dr. Widyono was a member of the UN transitional team and later a special envoy to the Secretary General, he spares no criticism of the UN operation. His account of the battle for power in Cambodia, the eventual peace process and its repercussions certainly is timely and offers lessons for today.

Rarely does an insider to a critical period in a nation's history describe the players and events so unabashedly. Dr. Widyono has provided readers with a bird's eye view of events that does not gloss over or curry favor with any group or individuals. He writes honestly and often amusingly about his life and work during this tumultuous period in Cambodia's history.

This is Benny Widyono's engaging memoir of his five years in Cambodia, first as a senior official in the UN Transitional Authority (UNTAC), responsible for the Province of Siem Reap, and later as the Personal Representative of the Secretary General after the new Royal Government was formed. Widyono's analysis of the flawed preparations for Cambodia's first modern elections is fresh and well-documented. Less dramatic, but no less important, was his role, along with the diplomatic corps in Phnom Penh, in monitoring and sometimes influencing the efforts of Cambodia to maintain a fractious coalition -- only to see it come apart in 1997. This is an engrossing read, especially for those who already know a little about Cambodia's recent history. For the beginner, it features an detailed chronology and an excellent bibliography.

Author Morrison has done a service by compiling a book of recollections about one of the most unknown events of our time: the air evacuation of Hmong General Vang Pao and many of his Hmong soldiers from Laos in May 1975. The Hmong were a staunch and effective American ally against the North Vietnamese and Lao Communists, but went down to defeat along with the Americans. Except for a few Americans, notably Jerry "Hog" Daniels of the CIA, the Hmong would have been abandoned to die in Laos.

Morrison gives little background and explanation for the events of May 1975, but plunges into the story with quotes from the participants, especially the Hmong. There are a number of rare and valuable photographs and good maps. The stories themselves are often priceless, first hand vignettes of history: for example, Gen. Heinie Aderholt's tale of hearing of the evacuation and his forthright -- and irregular -- finding and hiring of a C-46 pilot to fly the Hmong out of Laos.

Much of the material is compiled from the Hmong themselves, whose voices have only barely been heard in America. These were people on our side who deserved better at the bitter end of the Vietnam war. If you're not familiar with the outlines of the story some background reading may be useful. Roger Warner's, "Backfire" (also called "Shooting at the Moon") is good.

Smallchief

There will be many people (beside the Hmong) thankful that someone has taken the time to record this important event in history. The book has a distinct niche (human) in my education on the "happenings" in Laos. This is my fifth Laos subject book and is a must read! USAF in Thailand '69 veteran.

I truly enjoyed this book. I came away with a very different point of view. I was directly involved with the evacuation of DaNang, Nha Trang and Saigon in April '75 and to some extent in Loas in May of the same year and saw the refugees, in mass panic carrying babies and what possessions they could, trying to flee before the communists came. Gayle related the evacuation of Long Chen (20A) from the eyes of the Hmong refugees. It is a view that I never saw and hope that I never have to witness again.

Gayle Morrison has written an excellent book on the history and plight of the Hmong people in Laos during the Secert War in Laos. Her book's focus is the last battle these brave people fought, defending their mountain headquarters in northern Laos. Morrison is a talented writer who captures the feelings and spirit of what it must have been like to have been there. An excellent read.

Morrison interviewed a lot of Hmong participants in those last days, as well as American pilots Jack Knotts, Dave Kouba, etc. Eye-opening insight into the abandonment of one of America's most clandestine installations of the secret war in Laos. Detailed accounts of Matt Hoff's and Les Strouse's final flights into 'LS20 Alternate' as well. Some truly rare photos -- Long Tien in 1972, '73, '74, '75. Knotts and Kouba at the evacuation ramp on May 14, 1975, the last day. The Hmong -- from top leader Vang Pao to in-the-street tribespeople, no less proud, and no less tragic.

Finally, a haunting pair of photos -- top secret Long Tien in 1973, and another one, as mysterious as ever, from exactly the same angle and height (about 1000 feet above the runway), in 1995.

A compact, tightly-woven and compelling tale.

I dont think I would be priviliged enough to be in the same room as this superhero. No need for reviews as the others did a pretty good job. After you read this, you will never trust the government again.

He deserves 10 stars.

Note that this review is 4 years after publication... four years of silence.

A book that tears the mask off the fraudulent "War on Drugs". It exposes the growth of the war from two (highly mutually destructive) agencies in 1971 (Customs and DEA) to 55 and counting. It describes very extensive, high-volume CIA involvement in smuggling itself to obtain unaccountable funding.

It documents the cost of the fraudulent war. In dollars misspent, in innocent lives lost through raids gone amok and witnesses silenced, in the credibility of government agencies and the news media, and in the harm resulting from the 5-fold increase (his figures) in drug usage during the time $1 trillion has been wasted in the fight.

Recommend finding this book used or in a library, or reading Levine's chapter in "Into the Buzzsaw" by Kristina Borjesson.

The first sign of corruption in a society ... is that the end justifies the means. ~Georges Beranos, "Why Freedom?" (1955)

When you finish going through this book, you will gain a new perspective on the drugs war, and some of the root causes of the drugs problem in United States.

"Look Mike, our country has many diverse interests and you're one man in one little corner of the world. There are a lot of people a lot smarter than you and I involved in this business who might know a few things we don't. So just because an action might seem right doesn't mean it is; and even if it's the right thing to do, sometimes it's not the healthiest."

...

He was silent for a long moment. "Mike, don't ever forget a peanut butter sandwich."
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. I'm telling you this because I like you."

...

"Bario was one of the best and most committed undercover agents in DEA; he had done some of the agency's highest-level deep cover work. He was also a friend of mine. A year earlier he had been arrested for smuggling heroin from his post of duty in Mexico. While in jail in a Texas border town awaiting a removal hearing, he took a bite of a peanut butter sandwich and went into convulsions, and then a deep coma. He died a month later. He wife was told by the prison warden that strychnine had been found in his blood. The official autopsy report listed the cause of death as asphyxiation -- he choked on a peanut butter sandwich.
Many of Bario's fellow agents were aware that he was involved in cases that overlapped CIA interests. The rumor was that he "knew too much" about the CIA smuggling drugs into the United States to support its own interests and that he was killed by either members of DEA's Internal Security (who was in reality CIA) or by the CIA itself. I had always been one of those who had placed little credence in the rumor. Who could really believe that a branch of the U.S. government would assassinate its own people for any reason?"

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Mike Levine is a good writer. Add that to the fact that he was one of the best undercover agents in American history and you've got the equation for a great book. I had to stop myself a number of times to remember that this is NON-Fiction. The bumbling and deception that goes on at the higher levels of our Criminal Justice system would be laughable had this been a work of fiction. There is just too much detail here for it NOT to be true. This book, coupled with Levine's other book "Deep Cover" show you how the people in power manipulate the media to show the public the reality they want them to see. In light of the Iraq war "intelligence" misinformation, we can see that nothing has changed. In fact, the stakes have gotten higher.

I rank this book with "Dark Alliance" and "C.I.A.: Cocaine In America" as the most telling indictment of America's pseudo-war on drugs. Unlike most suthors who pontificate solutions from ivory towers and exhort stratagem with quill pens, Mr. Levine, not unlike Mr. VesBucci, for that matter, advises from hard-fought experience.

Journey into Madness is one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST books I have ever read in my entire life. If I was the principal of a High School, Journey Into Madness would be a required reading for all of the students. The young people need to learn that they have the right to living a pain-free life. And they need to understand that they will NOT get into trouble for reporting distressful or torturous experiences to authorities like they're librarians, nurses, and teachers. Thank you, Gordon Thomas, for being so kind as to offer the peace and mercy needed in the hearts of so many children and adults around the world. The American children are forever in debt to you for your merciful kindness.

Love,
Joematters.com

I was truly captivated, by the facts, Mr. Gordon was able to unearth, during his research into the CIA's, dark, and mysterious research and developement of mind control techniques. We the people, know so little about any branch, of the intelligence community. The closest most citizens, ever get to the intelligence community, would be the news reports, or movies, of which is difficult at best to grasp the un-thinkable acts that was obviously standard operating proc- edures, for the men and women of the central intelligence agency.

Mr. Gordons no holds barred, and tenacity in following his leads, unearthed some the most outrageous, and cold blooded acts, possibly ever committed by intelligent human beings, at which Mr. Gordon documented . From the moment I opened the cover of the book, I was spell bound. As I recall I read the book long after the Colonel Oliver North scandel, and prior to the hearings, I couldn't recall ever hearing of Col. Oliver North, but as I read the book I learned that he was a prominent figure in the intelligence community.

To this day I am still amazed, at Mr. Gordens ability to spend what had to seem like an eternity, uncovering and then to actually corraborate the the wild and unbelievable stories. It's a miracle Mr. Gordon, didn't fall prey to bouts of paranoia, considering the agency he was researching.

It's difficult to comprehend, how an entity of the Federal government, can conceive, direct, and implement not only an obduction of a russian intelligence officer, but a politician of our own government, then administer a powerful hallucinogenic drug like LSD, and increase the dosages to achieve thier desired result of pushing the subject(s) to the point of committing suicde. Mr. Gordons diligence, and courage, at the very least, held the CIA accountable in the civil courts. Journey into madness is a n extrordinary piece of work.

Mr. Gordon's research and objectivity is laudable, his book an eye-opener. It lends credance to movies such as Blind Sight. Mr. Gordon's description of Dr. al-Abub, his training and mission and that his current endeavors continue makes one wonder what humans can be about that they could do to others what they do. Can there still be Dr. Camerons/al Abubs working the torture circuit in the name of nationalism and belief?

This 1989 book was written to tell the world about the use of physicians in medical torture of political prisoners. It didn't start in Nazi Germany, and didn't end in Abu Ghraib (drugs, electroshock, gags, garrotes, blindfolds, branding irons, sexual abuse, mock executions). Physicians provide fake medical certificates for persons tortured to death ('Perspectives'). The author had access to written testimony, and off-the-record interviews (which were confirmed from other independent sources).

'Book One' deals with Beirut, the Near East, and the kidnapping of William Buckley, American Political Officer, in 1984. It mentions the survival technique of looking at every approaching face to determine if it is an enemy by the tension displayed on the face (p.59). The Hizballah justified terror as needed to create a new and ideal society (p.61). Brain-washing rarely involved physical cruelty bet depended on the use of repetition, harassment, and humiliation (p.69). [Just like your schooling?] Changing opinions was older that recorded history. America developed the most powerful advertising industry in the world and adapted it to psychological warfare and opinion making. They studied the techniques used by modern American evangelists in conversion, and the Catholic rite of confession (p.73). Pharmaceutical laboratories discovered how drugs can be used in mind control (p.74). How amoral and ignorant was Gov. Reagan (p.81)?

'Book Two' gives the history of the abuse of medical knowledge since WW II. Chapter 5 tells of Allen Dulles and his ruthless and unscrupulous character hidden beneath his cheerful and witty personality. The Korean War provided a new shock from former POWs (pp.94-95). The "twilight zone" is described (p.97). They could not understand the changed views of POWs! Chapter 7 notes how conscientious objectors were put into mental hospitals and used as test animals (pp.140-141)! Chapter 8 tells about electroshock treatments at the Allan Memorial Institute which went beyond the norm (p.149). Were there studies reminiscent of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz (p.150)? Allen Dulles continued with his drug experiments and poisonous mushrooms (pp.156-157). It tells of the poisoning death of Dr. Frank Olson (pp.160-162). [To shut him up?] Chapter 10 has a 'Top Secret' recording of Korean War POWs (pp.184-186); did you understand it? Was it caused by learning a new view of society? Chapter 11 tellis of the use of sensory deprivation experiments to cause irreversible damage to a patient's mind. Chapter 12 gives an example of post-event predictions (p.216). Chapter 13 tells how Dr. Mary Morrow was able to escape from the tortures of Dr. Ewen Cameron (pp.230-231). Chapter 14 gives the results of hypnotism to create a sleeper killer (p.253). Chapter 15 explains why the Vietcong succeeded (p.257). Truthful reports had bad consequences (p.258).Who controlled Oswald (p.260)? Could the CIA handle the truth (p.261)? NO (p.263)! Could psychics read minds from a distance (p.273)? Or devil worship (p.275)?

'Book Three' covers the events after Watergate. Chapter 17 tells about briefing President-elect Reagan. Claire Sterling's "The Terror Network" is evaluated (p.321). Could Agca have been brainwashed to make him an assassin (p.326)? Chapter 19 tells how the CIA created the cruelest police in the Arab world (p.328). All the bugs planted in Sadat's presidential palace did not warn of the assassination. Examples of medical torture are on pages 334-335. Torture by physicians goes back to the Roman Empire (p.346), to the English in Kenya (p.348); it wasn't just the Nazis. Science is always at the service of the rulers. "Hooding prisoners" was used in 1865 for the Lincoln assassination conspirators (p.356). The 'Notes' provides background information on this book.

The second review merely seeks to lessen the impact of the book "Journey into Madness" by Gordon Thomas by pointing out that other governments do similar things. No. Not on the scale and with the hypocrisy that the CIA does.

For those interested, who would like to know more about such practices and how the CIA and the medical community continue their terror and human rights abuses here and in other countries, there is some mention of this in "The Serpent and the Rainbow" by Wade Davis. He writes of the work of the American psychiatrist Nathan Kline (sp?) with the CIA in Haiti. This details their search for a drug they (doctors & the CIA) could use to control people - turn them into zombies. It mentions, coincidentially, the secret and not-so-secret primate and human experiments occurring at the New York State Psychiatric Institute by a Dr. Leo Rozen (sp). These practices still occur. The NIMH, in fact, are admittedly are giving people with mental illness Angel Dust (aka ketamine) to induce psychosis. This causes more irreversible damage than LSD.

Recently there were series of articles in the Harford Courant (1998) and the Boston Globe on drug abuses and torture used in private and publicly funded psychiatric hospitals.