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A Spy's Guide to #2
A Spy's Guide to Strategy
When you're a spy, life is complex. There are long games and short games and games that don't matter. There are enemies, allies and allies who become enemies. There's ambiguity, lying and betrayal. It's on you to make sense of it. Just you.
You decide what to do. You take action. Just you.
Which means you need a framework for making sense of the world. A framework that takes into account enemies and allies. A framework that puts them on the same field. A framework with predictive power. Most importantly, a framework that you can take with you. A framework that fits in your head.
A Spy's Guide To Strategy has a framework for strategy.
It's applied to World War I, the "War On Terror," and a spy's interactions with a lying source.
It starts with game theorists' First Rule Of Strategy.
A simple rule to help you handle the complex:
"Look forward and reason backward."
You decide what to do. You take action. Just you.
Which means you need a framework for making sense of the world. A framework that takes into account enemies and allies. A framework that puts them on the same field. A framework with predictive power. Most importantly, a framework that you can take with you. A framework that fits in your head.
A Spy's Guide To Strategy has a framework for strategy.
It's applied to World War I, the "War On Terror," and a spy's interactions with a lying source.
It starts with game theorists' First Rule Of Strategy.
A simple rule to help you handle the complex:
"Look forward and reason backward."
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2017
447 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 8, 2018
Stars
Despite its senseless hatred for commas, this book is really good. Easy to understand. Makes things plain. Explains allistic hierarchies.
Despite its senseless hatred for commas, this book is really good. Easy to understand. Makes things plain. Explains allistic hierarchies.
March 2, 2018
This book must be read to the end. Even if the "rough" language is annoying, the content is worth it. The author is the one who is compelled to break any doubts by a decision, even if risky, but unambiguous and irreversible. Because there is no one further, and there is no one to share responsibility with.
What Braddock writes about is not taught in schools or in universities. And in vain: the art of living among people is more important than professional knowledge. Some learn it "in battle," once hitting a difficult situation, others remain naive until the end of days. A corporation or a small company, a state institution, a department, a political party or a teacher's at school - in order to be successful in them, one must think, take into account the interests, build their strategy. People often hide their interests, lie, promise and do not justify promises. How to think in such a way as not to correct errors, but to predict the situation; do not get irritated about unjustified expectations, and soberly assess others and maintain psychological comfort - that's what this book is about.
What Braddock writes about is not taught in schools or in universities. And in vain: the art of living among people is more important than professional knowledge. Some learn it "in battle," once hitting a difficult situation, others remain naive until the end of days. A corporation or a small company, a state institution, a department, a political party or a teacher's at school - in order to be successful in them, one must think, take into account the interests, build their strategy. People often hide their interests, lie, promise and do not justify promises. How to think in such a way as not to correct errors, but to predict the situation; do not get irritated about unjustified expectations, and soberly assess others and maintain psychological comfort - that's what this book is about.
October 16, 2017
I'm really loving Braddock's writing style. He captures the essence of strategy (thinking forward and reasoning backward) and applies it to everyday personal situations and geopolitics. I look forward to his next book on negotiating.
February 1, 2018
Clear examples of game theory
This was a very simple look at intro game theory with clear examples accessible to Americans alive at the time. It's very interesting to see how he reasons through the actions.
This was a very simple look at intro game theory with clear examples accessible to Americans alive at the time. It's very interesting to see how he reasons through the actions.
July 9, 2023
Much like “A Spy’s Guide to Thinking” this book is short and sweet. It covers the in-depth topic of strategy in the smallest amount of space possible. I recommend reading “A Spy’s Gide to Thinking” first. If you like that book you will like this one too.
May 30, 2021
This is a book for fans of spycraft novels - what spies are really thinking and planning their moves. Because the author doesn't reveal all the details of his encounters as a spy (like what was the other person asked to retrieve or how did he know the other person was lying), there were stories that ended unsatisfactorily. Also, I don't care for the author's "herky-jerky" writing style (a term he himself used). The story at the beginning was broken up into 3-4 parts and interspersed among other stories in the book.
March 1, 2020
Probably not a good book to read with my ears...while he makes his points with stories, he doesn't go slowly enough to help me incorporate his zero-sum game strategies. Might do another read...it's short enough.
May 7, 2021
"A Spy's Guide to Strategy" is at its most entertaining when the author is recalling his own personal stories and there could be an excellent book in that area - maybe already being explored with his fiction.
The book is at its second most interesting when Braddock talks about 9/11 and the game played by Bin Laden. Some interesting things to note I hadn't known were that Bin Laden had been exiled by the Saudi's and they didn't want anything to do with him, because Bin Laden wanted the Saudi's to use Al-Qaeda during Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and many assumed (hence our intervention) eventual invasion into Saudi-Arabia. The larger point being made is that Bin Laden was playing a game much larger than Jihad, he wanted power and his end game was creating a new Caliphate. Something that at the surface isn't visible until one tries to think through Bin Laden's logic, which is what a spy - according to Braddock - does.
The more formal upskill portion of "A Spy's Guide to Strategy" centers around that thinking like a spy involves trying to understand illogical people through a logical lens. To do so, one must think about their objective. What is a person's end game? Their end game is whatever they want and it always involves people, places, and things because these are how games are played. A person is driven by desires and seeks the means to fulfill them.
Braddock uses Bin Laden as the key example for this overview of spy-thinking, how Bin Laden wants to make a new Caliphate - that's his end game he's imagined - so Osama reasons backward on how to achieve these ends. Ends are always achieved through games: zero-sum, positive-sum, negative-sum, etc,. The U.S. is involved in what Braddock calls Pax-Americana a large system of alliances involved in positive-sum games that Bin Laden looked to weaken in order to sow distrust and open up new options in his end game. Our strategies collided.
Braddock's life experiences as a format for teaching work well. The book is written like a CIA brief - the style of short sentences is clear and grows on you - but often the author triple checks whatever you've just gone over. So, Osama was playing an end game here's the description, now here's a graph, now here's how that looked and why let's look to the graph again. It teaches effectively because there isn't that much covered except the meat and potatoes of how Braddock has to think about things, but the redundancy breaks the flow of his more interesting personal stories.
The book is at its second most interesting when Braddock talks about 9/11 and the game played by Bin Laden. Some interesting things to note I hadn't known were that Bin Laden had been exiled by the Saudi's and they didn't want anything to do with him, because Bin Laden wanted the Saudi's to use Al-Qaeda during Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and many assumed (hence our intervention) eventual invasion into Saudi-Arabia. The larger point being made is that Bin Laden was playing a game much larger than Jihad, he wanted power and his end game was creating a new Caliphate. Something that at the surface isn't visible until one tries to think through Bin Laden's logic, which is what a spy - according to Braddock - does.
The more formal upskill portion of "A Spy's Guide to Strategy" centers around that thinking like a spy involves trying to understand illogical people through a logical lens. To do so, one must think about their objective. What is a person's end game? Their end game is whatever they want and it always involves people, places, and things because these are how games are played. A person is driven by desires and seeks the means to fulfill them.
Braddock uses Bin Laden as the key example for this overview of spy-thinking, how Bin Laden wants to make a new Caliphate - that's his end game he's imagined - so Osama reasons backward on how to achieve these ends. Ends are always achieved through games: zero-sum, positive-sum, negative-sum, etc,. The U.S. is involved in what Braddock calls Pax-Americana a large system of alliances involved in positive-sum games that Bin Laden looked to weaken in order to sow distrust and open up new options in his end game. Our strategies collided.
Braddock's life experiences as a format for teaching work well. The book is written like a CIA brief - the style of short sentences is clear and grows on you - but often the author triple checks whatever you've just gone over. So, Osama was playing an end game here's the description, now here's a graph, now here's how that looked and why let's look to the graph again. It teaches effectively because there isn't that much covered except the meat and potatoes of how Braddock has to think about things, but the redundancy breaks the flow of his more interesting personal stories.
November 14, 2017
Excellent guide to thinking
I love books that give me insight and tools, and that have a basis in real experience. This one succinctly does that using the author's life knowledge and skills. It reveals his incisive and practical thinking through real events. After his A Spy's Guide to Thinking and this one, I am a big fan.
I love books that give me insight and tools, and that have a basis in real experience. This one succinctly does that using the author's life knowledge and skills. It reveals his incisive and practical thinking through real events. After his A Spy's Guide to Thinking and this one, I am a big fan.
September 13, 2022
Не то чтобы гид по стратегии, скорее пара моделей мышления и полезные правила. Все завернуто в упаковку из нескольких историй из жизни агента.
November 28, 2017
This is an interesting, quick read. It presents a framework for thinking about strategy that I had never learned before, so I think it is worth the effort to read.
The strategy works out to determining an endgame (your goal), thinking backward for a strategy and taking action. Thinking backward to determine a strategy involves a series of intermediate, or possibly parallel "games": positive-sum games, zero-sum games, and boss games. Essentially, assembling a series of these games that accurately represent the path to your endgame will guide strategy development, which will then lead to taking action.
Illustrating these pieces of strategy development are the author's experiences and observations in recruiting and running agents in his role as a spy for the CIA, and his analysis of the long-term struggle between the United States and Bin Laden.
The writing style is extremely choppy by design, as the author admits in this book and the precursor "A Spy's Guide to Thinking". According to his research it is a winning formula. It can be distracting if you require good writing to stay engaged, but it is short and not intended to be poetic.
I enjoyed it and will attempt to use the lessons in my attempts to break the illuminati's control on international finance.
The strategy works out to determining an endgame (your goal), thinking backward for a strategy and taking action. Thinking backward to determine a strategy involves a series of intermediate, or possibly parallel "games": positive-sum games, zero-sum games, and boss games. Essentially, assembling a series of these games that accurately represent the path to your endgame will guide strategy development, which will then lead to taking action.
Illustrating these pieces of strategy development are the author's experiences and observations in recruiting and running agents in his role as a spy for the CIA, and his analysis of the long-term struggle between the United States and Bin Laden.
The writing style is extremely choppy by design, as the author admits in this book and the precursor "A Spy's Guide to Thinking". According to his research it is a winning formula. It can be distracting if you require good writing to stay engaged, but it is short and not intended to be poetic.
I enjoyed it and will attempt to use the lessons in my attempts to break the illuminati's control on international finance.
July 8, 2020
A spy’s strategy starts with an Endgame. A spy’s strategy means reasoning backward. Reasoning backward through the interactions. It means playing the games that get you to the Endgame. In a way that protects the people, places and things in your Endgame.
This book, the second in the Spy's Guide series, available as an Kindle Single, released by Amazon, is a self-help guide on how to use the principles from book one to make strategies for success.
In strategy, you want to know which type of game you’re playing. Positive-Sum Game or Zero-Sum Game?
The author makes the information for accessible by wrapping it around a story from his own life, and by applying it to Osama bin Laden's attack on America on 9/11.
It is more in depth than the first book and actually touches on an area of Mathematics called Game Theory. It was an interesting read.
When you’re a spy, you think a lot about death. You think a lot about the people who died doing what you’re doing.
This book, the second in the Spy's Guide series, available as an Kindle Single, released by Amazon, is a self-help guide on how to use the principles from book one to make strategies for success.
In strategy, you want to know which type of game you’re playing. Positive-Sum Game or Zero-Sum Game?
The author makes the information for accessible by wrapping it around a story from his own life, and by applying it to Osama bin Laden's attack on America on 9/11.
It is more in depth than the first book and actually touches on an area of Mathematics called Game Theory. It was an interesting read.
When you’re a spy, you think a lot about death. You think a lot about the people who died doing what you’re doing.
December 23, 2020
A straight forward short book on how to think about strategy in a 2-tuple adversarial scenario. The author asks to "think backwards" from the outcomes you would like to realize, and to trace back to the beginning that outcome so you can find a point that is both realizable from where you stand, but also 'critical path' to achieve the the outcome you desire. He is basically describing 'backward induction' from basic Game Theory.
The author was/is (?) a member of the the Agency, and imbibes in the reader a lot of what drove him to anchor his commentary on "strategy". It's what you would expect ("Pax Americana" etc.). Most of his examples are from interpersonal case-studies where he had to figure out whether the person he was speaking to was "on the level".
It was well-written and read, but short, and not that informative to someone with more than a passing understanding of "strategy" as a standard subject taught / practiced in business/school/competitive domains. Conditional recommend as a short introduction to the topic of using 'strategy' to puzzle through personal situations, not on the notion of 'strategy' in a more general sense (or any other applied sense say business, military, etc.).
The author was/is (?) a member of the the Agency, and imbibes in the reader a lot of what drove him to anchor his commentary on "strategy". It's what you would expect ("Pax Americana" etc.). Most of his examples are from interpersonal case-studies where he had to figure out whether the person he was speaking to was "on the level".
It was well-written and read, but short, and not that informative to someone with more than a passing understanding of "strategy" as a standard subject taught / practiced in business/school/competitive domains. Conditional recommend as a short introduction to the topic of using 'strategy' to puzzle through personal situations, not on the notion of 'strategy' in a more general sense (or any other applied sense say business, military, etc.).
March 10, 2022
A short but amazingly well written book on strategies, their need/importance, and how they usually pan out in the grand scheme things.
Touches upon the relationship between end games, zero-sum games, positive-sum games, and boss games, and how these games usually are sequenced to achieve an endgame. Don't expect to learn more about specific strategies, or methods/tactics to play any of the above games.
One point that's not stressed on too much is how any endgame is only temporary, and what that means for us humans who tend to get stuck running race after race. But I guess that's for a more philosophical book.
Also, given the author was a spy, much of the language (and thus the interpretation) is "aggressive" for the normal world. But with a bit of thinking everything that the author states can be converted into a less aggressive version that applies to us boring humans.
I particularly liked the stories the author uses (his own field experience, and Bin Laden's pursuit of the Caliphate) to present the overall picture. Would recommend.
Touches upon the relationship between end games, zero-sum games, positive-sum games, and boss games, and how these games usually are sequenced to achieve an endgame. Don't expect to learn more about specific strategies, or methods/tactics to play any of the above games.
One point that's not stressed on too much is how any endgame is only temporary, and what that means for us humans who tend to get stuck running race after race. But I guess that's for a more philosophical book.
Also, given the author was a spy, much of the language (and thus the interpretation) is "aggressive" for the normal world. But with a bit of thinking everything that the author states can be converted into a less aggressive version that applies to us boring humans.
I particularly liked the stories the author uses (his own field experience, and Bin Laden's pursuit of the Caliphate) to present the overall picture. Would recommend.
November 11, 2018
"...to do that [succeed], you take risks. You go to risky places. You do dangerous things. It's risky. But you don't to dumb things. You don't put yourself in situations where there's nothing to gain and a lot to lose. You don't play zero-sum games where you best result is zero.
/.../
You choose games where the reward is worth the risk. You choose games you'll win."
This is a quote from the book that both illustrates the style (intentionally economical sentences, which you'll get used to) and the message (accessible game theory, which helps you make sense of the world, and if you take the time, help you think more clearly about the games you are playing).
By the looks of it, the author wasn't pressured to add in lots of filler so expect a short but fulfilling read.
/.../
You choose games where the reward is worth the risk. You choose games you'll win."
This is a quote from the book that both illustrates the style (intentionally economical sentences, which you'll get used to) and the message (accessible game theory, which helps you make sense of the world, and if you take the time, help you think more clearly about the games you are playing).
By the looks of it, the author wasn't pressured to add in lots of filler so expect a short but fulfilling read.
January 3, 2020
I really have no desire to be a spy, but I wouldn't mind learning how to think like one. And, since this book was on sale on audible, and was only 3 hours and 10 minutes long, I figured I'd give something different a try. It was mildly interesting and I did learn a couple of things about strategically figuring out a problem. There were really two stories at play here. One was about the author's interaction with a "spy volunteer," and the other was about 9/11 and how Osama Bin Laden's "end game" affected his actions (and why it's good that he was taken out.) The author is a former case officer with the CIA.
October 12, 2018
A short book that could have been shorter if it wasn’t for some repetitiveness. Author’s style of writing is a little jagged but feels like you’re listening to a story from a veteran with the bravado turned up a bit. Good overview of game theory and working backwards from the endgame to identify what your opponent might do to achieve their goals and reason through it. Surprisingly insightful into the mind of Bin Laden and the strategies for September 11th and why there may not have been any further attacks as it didn’t advance Bin Laden’s endgame.
May 11, 2020
The author tends to state a relatively simple idea, repeat it, say it again in a slightly different way, and then repeat the idea again. He then repeats it again later on. He is very repetitive. He states an idea or a concept, repeats it. He is very repetitive. He will say something, and then say it again over and over. The author of this book is highly repetitive. He says things over and over. He repeats himself.
Very few novel ideas in this book. Could have been one chapter. And he repeats himself. Over and over.
Very few novel ideas in this book. Could have been one chapter. And he repeats himself. Over and over.
January 18, 2018
An interesting book with several anecdotal insights about global political strategies. That alone made it a worthwhile read for me. Otherwise, it's an adequate review of basic strategy building. Braddock's writing is a little quirky though, and the constant repetition is tedious and frustrating. It caused me to wonder whether it was as a means to punctuate they key tenets of the theory or to pad the word count for some reason.
December 9, 2017
Outstanding
I borrowed this book through kindle unlimited to learn more about different strategies to employ. Primarily physiologically. John Braddock keeps you reading with his great narrative and consistently ties his focus points throughout the entire book fluidly. Must read for military members or business men.
I borrowed this book through kindle unlimited to learn more about different strategies to employ. Primarily physiologically. John Braddock keeps you reading with his great narrative and consistently ties his focus points throughout the entire book fluidly. Must read for military members or business men.
October 15, 2019
Practical application of game theory.
The author's style of writing takes some getting used to, but it was a fun, educational read. We get to see some of the better-known game theory applied to real-world scenarios. I recommend this book to anyone interested in game theory and strategic planning through the application.
The author's style of writing takes some getting used to, but it was a fun, educational read. We get to see some of the better-known game theory applied to real-world scenarios. I recommend this book to anyone interested in game theory and strategic planning through the application.
February 17, 2020
A good primer on personal strategy and explainer of global grand strategy.
It also has a nice flow where the storytelling and instruction compel page turning.
My main concern is the use of the word “spy”. Generally, a spy is an asset run by an intelligence operator of the type the author claims to be. I suppose he uses the less technical term by choice as a marketing accommodation.
It also has a nice flow where the storytelling and instruction compel page turning.
My main concern is the use of the word “spy”. Generally, a spy is an asset run by an intelligence operator of the type the author claims to be. I suppose he uses the less technical term by choice as a marketing accommodation.
August 15, 2020
Teaches you something new, and then some more new.
There are plenty of books on strategy but this one provides a unique framework. The imagination - end game - reasoning - steps - action model is super easy and useful to understand.
Originality is sexy and this book is original. Highly recommended. Giving more away will take away from the book.
There are plenty of books on strategy but this one provides a unique framework. The imagination - end game - reasoning - steps - action model is super easy and useful to understand.
Originality is sexy and this book is original. Highly recommended. Giving more away will take away from the book.
December 10, 2017
This approach to strategy is the simplest I've come across and seems to sum it up well. This would be the best primer on strategy I've read. Plus it has great stories about being a spy - hard to go wrong with that.
December 20, 2017
Interesting, but overwritten
The author clearly knows what he is talking about. And his ideas and interesting and useful. However, the book is twice as long as it needs to be. He becomes grossly repetitive, especially in the last third of the book. He needs a good editor.
The author clearly knows what he is talking about. And his ideas and interesting and useful. However, the book is twice as long as it needs to be. He becomes grossly repetitive, especially in the last third of the book. He needs a good editor.
July 7, 2018
Practical advice delivered succinctly
Mr. Braddock provides you with practical advise to develop and implement a strategy. You will use what you learn from this book immediately. You might already be using some of the books concepts. Read the book.
Mr. Braddock provides you with practical advise to develop and implement a strategy. You will use what you learn from this book immediately. You might already be using some of the books concepts. Read the book.
August 20, 2018
Practical approach to strategy and employs a decent amount of layering and comparing of situations to make the key points memorable. Lumps motivations of the person in with their strategy which I wouldn't say is the same thing, but overall worth a read.
November 18, 2018
A bit more harder to follow this time
A spy's guide to thinking was better to this on to follow the story and see the thinking but I admit that strategy is harder to put easily. Again a book that has practical use if you get it right. Loved this one as well
A spy's guide to thinking was better to this on to follow the story and see the thinking but I admit that strategy is harder to put easily. Again a book that has practical use if you get it right. Loved this one as well
September 4, 2019
Very well written. The author is able to take a complex style of strategy and break it down to very simple and easy to understand way. I haven't read any of his other books yet but after reading this, I will definitely be reading more of his material.
August 10, 2021
Interesting Read
Interesting and informative. Nice way to present decision-making for many different settings. Simple easily interpreted diagrams.
Casual writing style and sociology-political scenarios were compelling.
Interesting and informative. Nice way to present decision-making for many different settings. Simple easily interpreted diagrams.
Casual writing style and sociology-political scenarios were compelling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews