I had high expectations for this book because the subject matter sounded interesting, and it was informative but ultimately, I think, shallow. He surveys the world of corporate espionage without nearly as much contemplation of potential ramifications as I would like. It ends up being a series of cool anecdotes from people who aren’t especially forthcoming. Maybe it’s because I’m just coming off of reading some James Stewart, who holds nothing back, but while quick/compelling, ultimately unsatisfying. ( )

This was a really fun read! ( )

Not so many secrets. It turns out that lots of former CIA etc. employees (and even current CIA employees, due to a cozy little rule that lets them work on the side) are in the private investigation business and will trail people and go through their trash for the benefit of business competitors. For all the personal detail, there was very little insightful about what this access means, nor was there much in the way of tradecraft or revelations about specific secrets that had been discovered. ( )

About: Javers presents a glimpse at the clandestine world of corporate spying. He presents a history of the investigation field, interviews current and former spies, profiles a few intelligence agencies and provides real-world stories of corporate spying.

Pros: Very interesting look into a world I barely knew existed. Presents a few tricky tactics corporate spies use, such as making fake Monster.com ads and conducting fake job interviews in order talk to employees looking to leave the company that's being spied on. Another tactic is to tell the company that they are a documentary crew working on a film and go into the company headquarters and film all they can in the guise of making a documentary. Sources cited.

Cons: Since spies are usually required to be closed mouth, one can only wonder what other stuff goes on in the espionage world that Javers' contacts wouldn't reveal. Javers' call for more openness in the field in the final chapter seems to come out of nowhere.

Grade: B ( )