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A Spy's Guide to Thinking (Kindle Single) Kindle Edition

by John Braddock (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 3,128 ratings
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"Holds your attention and makes you think. Effective tricks-of-the-trade for making decisions. Concise, accessible, and best of all, GRIPPING!" - Amazon Reviewer Eric

"Really cool how the author wove together 1 single story and his strategic thinking advice and made an exciting cliffhanger, page turner out of it." - Amazon Reviewer KWF

"A practical read that's equal parts pragmatic and entertainment. And it reads quickly. The author juxtaposes his sound academic wisdom with a short story that reads like a teaser to a spy thriller. Great insight from a guy you'd love to sit and have a beer with." - Amazon Reviewer Jim

There are a select few people who get things done. Spies are first among them.

In a 45 minute read, a former spy introduces two simple tools for thinking. The first describes how we think. The second helps us think ahead. They are the essential tools for getting things done.

The tools are applied to an incident in a subway car in Europe where a spy faces a new enemy. Then, they're reapplied to Saddam Hussein's stockpiling (or not) of weapons of mass destruction.

John Braddock was a case officer at the CIA. He developed, recruited and handled sources on weapons proliferation, counter-terrorism and political-military issues. A former university research fellow, he is now a strategy consultant. He helps people and organizations think more effectively about their strategy, their customers and the competition.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
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  2. Print length
    51 pages
  3. Language
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  5. Publication date
    May 31, 2015
  6. File size
    530 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Crisp. Organized. Cerebral and intuitive. Most of all, fun. A Hemingway of the C. I. A." - Andrew Scott
"This is a very 'smart' book. It is compact, and concise. John Braddock has been able to throw in a good spy story to show how to properly think in a stressful situation." - Robert Franks
"This was much better than I expected. The biggest surprise was how well Braddock writes. Most novelists could pick up some tips from him. Get this book. It's practically free, and you can read it in a sitting." - Goodreads reviewer Jacob O'Connor

About the Author

John Braddock was a case officer at the CIA. He developed, recruited and handled sources on weapons proliferation, counter-terrorism and political-military issues. A former university research fellow, he is now a strategy consultant. He helps people and organizations think more effectively about their strategy, their customers and the competition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00XZCYHRW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (May 31, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 530 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 51 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 3,128 ratings

About the author

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John Braddock

John Braddock

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John Braddock was a case officer at the CIA. He developed, recruited and handled sources on weapons proliferation, counter-terrorism and political-military issues. A former university research fellow, he now consults on interesting problems. Usually, they're unstructured problems. Problems that are hard to define. Problems where people and resources are at risk but you don't know where to start. Problems where you might want a spy to guide you.

He can be reached via the contact form at www.spysguide.com or directly at spysguide@gmail.com.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
3,128 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Victoria Allison
5.0 out of 5 stars A business owner review of Thinking-This was a win-win!
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
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John Braddock is probably not the author’s real name. A lie. Like James Bond or Jason Bourne or the other fiction spy character with initials JB. But that doesn’t matter. The book speaks a truth. It’s content is imperative in knowing how to make better decisions. It’s simple and short but powerful. It’s the book I needed today before making a life changing decision. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
One person found this helpful
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Trace
4.0 out of 5 stars worth a look but…
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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Interesting and short
Not really useful
Guess that’s in next book
Wish strategy were included in this book so I wouldn’t have to get another to find out.
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Bill Terwilliger
3.0 out of 5 stars 'Moral Calculations' by Laszlo Mero is a brilliant lay book on game theory and will very likely ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016
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First of all, this is worth buying and reading/listening to. More for the sidebars than the meat of it. The stuff about Iraq is fascinating and valuable but the main issue is using a fairly ordinary event to go over basic game theory principles. The book, 'Moral Calculations' by Laszlo Mero is a brilliant lay book on game theory and will very likely alter the way you think in general. This book is sort of a pamphlet using a couple of the general principles of game theory. But as I say, it is worth buying and (in my case) listening to as you run or whatever. There are nuggets of value mixed in with the main metaphor of the story.
4 people found this helpful
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C Wm (Andy) Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars "A Spy's Guide to Thinking;" Bought it for Advice in WRITING, but Gained Wisdom for Making BUSINESS Deals...
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2018
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I'm going to depart from my customary long-winded diatribe review and keep this short and sweet.

I fancy myself as a writer. As such, I'm always looking for material that can help me improve. So, not just for any spy thriller I might choose to write in the future, but because I wish to better understand the thinking process that takes place just before the first punch or first shot is taken, I bought this brief. I also purchased the Audible edition, since the cost for both was so cheap on Amazon Prime Day.

Did I get my money's worth? Dis I learn something? Read on to learn why I not only gained insight into writing spy thrillers, but also how the principles taught make for wiser business negotiations.

Short answer: Yes.

You see, many years ago I was on an RTD bus when confronted by a hostile person who wanted a quarter i was flipping to pass the boring ride from the LA airport to my home in Lynwood, CA. Without thinking and without deliberation, I did somewhat as the author discusses in his example. My good fortune was merely good luck, not the result of quick thinking or intelligence. Had I read this book, I would have taken a far wiser, more deliberate action and been better prepared if something had gone wrong. My guardian angle protected me.

Am I likely to write a better novel because of reading this booklet? Time will tell...

BLUSH FACTOR No worries here in any way, shape or fashion.

BOTTOM LINE

This is not only a terrific read for those interested in the thinking process in the even of conflict (even business negotiations) but it is worth buying the Audible edition and listening to the professional narration. By the way, I enjoyed it enough that I also purchased his companion booklet, "A Spy's Guide to Strategy," and his first novel, "The 24th Name."

Five stars out of five.

Will you help me? I hope and trust that this review has helped you. Did I answer most of your questions and concerns? I encourage you to click the appropriate button [helpful or not helpful] below. Also, leave a comment below. Doing so helps me provide reviews that work better for you.

I am writing a book for aspiring reviewers and for product suppliers seeking reviews in an effort to help improve the process and to understand the value of Amazon’s Customer Review process. I hope to incorporate many of the received comments, with attribution to those making the suggestions, into my books.

Together, you and I can build a great customer review process that helps everybody. Will you join me? It is people such as you who have helped me improve over the years. I'm still learning, and I have a great deal yet to learn. With your help, I'll improve every day.

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Alan V.
4.0 out of 5 stars A Peek Into a Spy's Mental Edge; When Time is of the Essence
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2015
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A subtle message lies within this book, namely, that "structure" equals "behavior." When circumstances require action, having a habitual method (i.e a structured approach) to quickly analyze the situation and select the best response gives you an edge over your opponent. The author shows how the US Air Force analyzed ace pilots to determine why they won more dogfights, and how that discovery was generalized into a powerful behavioral approach to rapid decision-making for spies in stressful situations. The method doesn't guarantee success, but it does improve your chances and builds confidence.

Spies play a dangerous game. The movie portrayals of the espionage game are not far off, says the author. Novel gadgets rarely win the day. Spies want proven technologies, including the best ways to think in stressful situations.

This book uses the author's thought process during an attempted robbery where he, the spy, is victim as an example of his structured thought process, one that major spy agencies and the military actually use. Those who employ it benefit from better decisions and faster response times. In other words, this structured method of thinking, applied repeatedly in a repetitive or "looping" fashion, is more effective than the less structured, more improvisational thinking that most of us use to deal with the situations that life throws at us. The robbery's outcome may not be what you expect; but no spoilers here.

I particularly like the author's writing style and his sharp focus. This book has a message to deliver. There is no fluff or filler. Happily, there is a thread of suspense as he weaves his story about the attempted robbery through the explanation of the method. Near the end, he analyzes the thought process he went through in deciding to write the book in comparison to a reader's decision to purchase it. At first this seemed disingenuous. On reflection it makes perfect sense as an example of the game theory outcomes he uses to frame strategy in a stressful situation.

This book is a starting point. Anyone wishing to employ these methods likely requires both practice and further reading. The book does not have suggestions for other books on the subject or a bibliography. One star deducted on that account.
159 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Jedidiah
5.0 out of 5 stars Short but interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2023
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This is a short book on thinking using a spy model of thinking. Very easy to read but with good workable ideas and strategies.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good short informative interesting read
Reviewed in India on January 30, 2021
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Gripping and eventful illustrative style. Keeps reader interested and alert. Gives an insight into analytical thinking that makes a successful spy.
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Cliente Kindle
4.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in Brazil on April 21, 2019
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it is a good book, with good tools and strategies, so i recommend this book. small but with good information
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Logan Bayliss
5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for recovering people pleasers.
Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2019
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I really liked this book, but probably not for the reasons the author intended. I tend to be people pleaser and put the needs of others before mine.

This book helped me to reassess how I interact with others. What game am I playing? What will this lead to? What are my interests? Who can help
me? Is this a game we can both win or do I have to compete for the one winning option?

I don’t think Mr.Braddock expected to write a self help book, but game thinking has helped me to live a much more dignified life. It is concise, interesting, and spells out the how of structured game-base thinking. It’s also cheap like borscht and a huge value. Do yourself a favour and pick it up. :)
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carlG
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but dissapointing
Reviewed in Spain on September 7, 2019
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Don’t expect to be told serious dark secrets or special tricks you can’t find in wikipedia searching for: Operational data analysis, game theory and decision making.

This piece could have been written by someone (not a former spy) with some knowledge on spy novels and recent war conflicts stories to add enough spy-war-content as an appealing context for the reader.

I must admit that I appreciate very much the writting style and the marketing strategy deployed.
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