Survive Like a Spy: Real CIA Operatives Reveal How They Stay Safe in a Dangerous World and How You Can Too

by Jason Hanson

Overview

Follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life—revealing high-stakes techniques and survival secrets from real intelligence officers in life-or-death situations around the world

Everyone loves a good spy story, but most of the ones we hear are fictional. That's because the most dangerous and important spycraft is done in secret, often hidden in plain sight.

In this powerful new book, bestselling author and former CIA officer Jason Hanson takes the reader deep inside the world of espionage, revealing true stories and expert tactics from real agents engaged in life-threatening missions around the world.

With breathtaking accounts of spy missions in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere, the book reveals how to:

* Achieve mental sharpness to be ready for anything
* Escape if taken hostage
* Set up a perfect safe site
* Assume a fake identity 
* Master the "Weapons of Mass Influence" to recruit others, build rapport, and make allies when you need them most

With real-life spy drama that reads like a novel paired with expert practical techniques, Survive Like a Spy will keep you on the edge of your seat – and help you stay safe when you need it most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143131595
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	490,845
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

Jason Hanson is a former CIA officer, security specialist, and winner of ABC's hit reality series Shark Tank. His previous book, Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, was a New York Times bestseller. Jason is a highly sought-after expert on safety and survival, and has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, Today, Dateline, and elsewhere. He currently lives in Cedar City, Utah, with his family.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One
(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "Survive Like a Spy"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Jason Hanson.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Table of Contents

Introduction: Welcome to the Real World of CIA Operatives ix

Chapter 1 Spy Sense: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Spy? 1

Chapter 2 When One Mission Becomes Two: Using Cover Stops, Hunker-Down Sites, and Secret Caches to Spy on a Terrorist Cell 17

Chapter 3 Dr. X and the Puffer Fish: How Secret Signals, Covert Communication, and a Five-Hour Surveillance Detection Route Saved America from a Deadly Biological Weapon 41

Chapter 4 Gathering Intelligence in a War Zone: Surviving Bombings and Brutality During a Civil War in El Salvador 61

Chapter 5 Stealing a Top-Secret Hologram from the Russians: How to Get Anyone to Do What You Want 83

Chapter 6 Snatching and Grabbing a Narco-Terrorist: How to Survive a Kidnapping 113

Chapter 7 Protecting the Greatest Minds in the World from Hostile Foreign Countries: How to Travel Safely When Others Want to Harm You 139

Chapter 8 Turning a Soldier into a Spy: How a First-Time Case Officer Taught a Decorated War Hero to Do Brush Passes, Dead Drops, and Signaling to Help the United States 161

Chapter 9 Giving a High-Level Ambassador a Bugged Painting: How to Embed Cameras and Microphones When It's You Who Needs to Spy on Someone 179

Chapter 10 The Spy Who Sold China Computers Secretly Infected With Malware: How CIA Officers Avoid Being Hacked, Spied On, or Scammed 197

Chapter 11 Taking Control: What You Can Do Right Now to Lead a Secure Life and Survive Anything from Blackouts to Economic Collapses to Home Invasions 217

Glossary of Spy Terms 235

References 239

Acknowledgments 241

About the Author 243

Editorial Reviews

12/04/2017
Hanson, a former CIA officer, delivers a book replete with exciting spy encounters and hyperbolic training tips intended to make readers feel safer and more secure in a world that “feels more dangerous than ever.” For some, Hanson’s book will feel more like fearmongering, as when he suggests, for instance, that families create secret signals (such as a thumbtack or chalk mark) to indicate danger near the family home. Espionage aficionados, however, will be in seventh heaven. There are plenty of firsthand spy adventures reported, with names, dates, and places appropriately withheld. There’s no shortage of authorial bluster (“Your average American isn’t likely to be recruited as a spy”) but also enough excitement to drive readers on, especially when paired with irresistible tips on such matters as “busting free when duct-taped to a chair” or “how to survive a kidnapping.” The book also covers internet password security (which even Hanson can’t make exciting) and ends on an energetic note, dispensing advice on how to “survive anything.” The macho tone will repel some, but the book is chock-full of amusing and colorful tips that readers can hope they never actually have to use. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"You never know when you will suddenly be confronted by a 'do or die' situation. None of us can. Jason’s unique collection of such incidents are recounted by real CIA covert operations officers. And intriguing and fascinating as they are, their greatest value is in giving you insight into the way of thinking and reacting that these covert operators demonstrate. Just one story could save your life." 
—Peter Earnest, executive director of the International Spy Museum and former CIA clandestine service officer

"In the past fifty years, I have conducted leadership development workshops for over 100,000 leaders in Russia, Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Australia. I can confirm that whether you travel around the world or just in the United States, this is a must-have book for surviving in today’s world. Every American can benefit from this book and it should be mandatory reading for staying safe." 
— Peter A. Land, Colonel USAF (Ret.), former director of management consultation, United States Air Force

"Survive Like a Spy is both a thrilling read and a primer full of lifesaving tactics. It’s a rare chance you get to learn from the best CIA operatives on how to stay alive in the crazy world we live in, which is why I highly recommend this book."
—Alain Burrese, former Army sniper and author of Survive a Shooting

"As someone who’s worked operations with the CIA, I can tell you that Jason and his team are the real deal and that you’ll absolutely learn many life-saving skills in this book. In fact, I can’t believe the CIA let Jason share some of these stories."
—Cade Courtley, former Navy SEAL and author of Seal Survival Guide

"I attest to the life-saving techniques presented in this book. I have relied on the tradecraft skills disclosed in this book to keep me alive and out of foreign prisons. I have conducted operations with the operatives who have shared their stories in this book, and as amazing as it sounds, this book presents factual and accurate methods used by intelligence operatives."
—Michael D., former clandestine operations officer, CIA, NSA, DIA

"Survive Like a Spy is an incredible survival book. Even though I’m a Marine, retired police officer, and black belt, I learned spy survival tricks that I can add to my arsenal."
—Danny Lane, ninth degree black belt master and founder of the World Martial Arts Centers and the World Martial Arts Federation

"Great tips on staying safe from a former CIA officer. This book is a good addition to the library of anyone who wants to keep themselves and their families out of trouble."
—Colonel Scott Hovis, United States Army

From the Publisher

Read More