Der FBI-Code: Die sieben Prinzipien herausragender Leistungen

by Frank Figliuzzi, Martin Bayer

HÖCHSTLEISTUNG MIT DER FBI-METHODE
Ihr Kampf gegen das Verbrechen ist legendär, ihre Erfolgsbilanz außergewö Das Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ist weit über die Grenzen der USA für seine Leistungsfähigkeit bekannt.
Der ehemalige FBI-Agent, spätere Chefinspektor und Leiter der Spionageabwehr, Frank Figliuzzi, kennt das Erfolgsgeheimnis der zentralen US-Sicherheitsbehörde. Ihr einzigartiger Kodex – die Grundlage für ihre Exzellenz – bestehend aus sieben Grundwerten, die das Bureau und seine Mitarbeiter vor allen internen und externen Gefahren Verhaltenskodex, Bewahrung, Klarheit, Konsequenz, Empathie, Glaubwürdigkeit und Beständigkeit. Figliuzzis Buch zeigt, wie man diese sieben Pfeiler des Erfolgs nutzen kann, um sowohl im Business und Alltag bessere Leistung zu erbringen und sich persönlich weiterzuentwickeln.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Leadership, Business, Biography, Audiobook

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2021

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau's Code of Excellence by one of my favorite media consultants on the breaking news of the day, Frank Figliuzzi. The thrust of this book was how the Federal Bureau of Investigation operates on codes of conduct that are not only aspired to, but essential to the operation of such a complex enterprise as the FBI. Figliuzzi presents us with his internal structure and inner working of the FBI as he presents as Code, Conservancy, Clarity, Consequences, Compassion, Credibility, and Consistency.

Throughout these chapters, we are presented with experiences of FBI agent Frank Figliuzzi as he navigates the turbulent political waters that we have all experienced, but he gives us his personal experience. Frank Figliuzzi is a true patriot and I am grateful for his service and I admire how he implemented his code of conduct for the FBI, but at the same time give us all hope. And I love that he knew from the age of eleven years that he wanted to be an FBI agent; you give us all hope!

[Martin, I stand with ISRAEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first saw Frank Figliuzzi on MSNBC. He was talking about the Capital rioters and what consequences they may face . His book was prominently displayed on his bookshelf behind him. A shameless plug. Yet, he came across as a very informative, interesting man.

You can boil the book down to his seven C’s.
Code
Conservancy
Clarity
Consequences
Compassion
Credibility
Consistency

The author is is a straight shooter and followed the seven C’s throughout his FBI career. He follows up each point with real life examples throughout his career.

One point hit home for me. “The bureau has better mechanisms to hire new employees, than the nation has to pick a president”. How true.

I would recommend this book to anybody.

[David Mattingly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Figliuzzi served in several investigative and leadership positions during his 25-year career with the FBI. Since leaving the Bureau he has served in several corporate security positions and is an online security expert with NBC News. In The FBI Way Figliuzzi describes “the Seven C’s of Code, Conservancy, Clarity, Consequences, Compassion, Credibility, and Consistency.” The Seven Cs he considers the basis for the global status of the FBI in the international law-enforcement community. He uses his own experiences to highlight each of the Cs while also discussing his career and how the Cs playout with agents that he served, investigated or supervised. He spent several years in the Bureau’s Office of Professional Responsibility which investigates wrongdoings committed by special agents or other Bureau employees in his role with OPR he would daily deal with ethical conduct. The book could be a timeless resource regarding government employee ethics and the use of the Cs as building blocks for an organization. However, Figliuzzi delves into the ethics of President Donald Trump and several FBI special agents including former Director James Comey, and their conduct while investigating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Trump. Although his comments may have value in the discussion of ethics, they make the discussion more political and appear to be less representative than his other examples. He would have done better to either author a book on Clinton and Trump or one on the Seven Cs.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author should have left his political views out of this--he was so obvious. I might have thought more of the book if he had. There is really nothing new to learn from the prospectives he offers. There are all common knowledge and everyone should already know. And he just talked about cases that are well known to everyone. Very disappointing.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this era of "alternative facts" and "anything goes", the author provides insight into how the FBI maintains it's high standards and excellence. Using a core set of principles, the FBI sets their expectations on conduct right from the beginning of an agent's career, and does not bend for any reason. Personally, I prefer this type of organization. It let's you know exactly what is expected of you, and of your co-workers. Not a different set of rules for a bosses favored people. It reminds me of what I was taught early in my own law enforcement career. "Act in a manner that was firm, fair, and consistent". Follow those three rules and everything else will fall into place. The author goes into much more detail, but I believe the bottom line is the same. Good book.

[TE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written by one of the FBI's "luminaries," former Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi, this book was far from what I initially expected, but that doesn't account for the low rating. In short, it constituted little more than, if not an outright apology (in the sense of a defense), a low-key propaganda piece about how righteous the FBI and its denizens are - and there are certainly no shortage of those - according to its "7 C's" code. Other exposes, however, but including even some of the material related by the author in his own book (more below), suggest that the FBI is anything but righteous. Morally ambiguous, I think, is the term of the day. I agree with multiple other reviewers that it constitutes little more than shameless promotion and a sometimes-apology of the way in which this often-esteemed agency deals with wrongdoers among its own ranks. Wonder why an entire book was needed on that subject... read on.

I read a fair bit about true crime, albeit highly selectively and not in the salacious sense, but more as a means of self-protection (knowledge is power), so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with the inner workings of federal law enforcement agencies, at least through the lens of the former agents who have written a seemingly endless stream of books about their experiences. That said, this was one of the more one-sided, biased works I've encountered to date. It extols the "virtues" of the Bureau, while addressing few of its shortcomings, and there are plenty of those, aside from the author's anecdotes about how he personally addressed some of the misconduct committed by Bureau employees as the head of the internal disciplinary unit, the Office of Professional Responsibility. High-profile and much-publicized examples of firings of FBI personnel are primarily internal, and largely political, aside from the Robert Hanssen fiasco, which is probably the FBI's greatest public embarrassment. There is some attempt at demonstrating that internal investigations and official reprimand are effective and more than cursory, but that doesn't relate to many of the primary complaints with regard to the behavior of federal law enforcement personnel in the way I think a book like this should.

The stated premise of the book is to discuss the Seven Cs of the FBI: Code, Conservancy, Clarity, Consequences, Compassion (the shortest chapter, by far), Credibility and Consistency. The material is engaging, and the stories do offer some insight into the inner workings of the Bureau, but the author's accounts which ostensibly illustrate his points about the "Seven Cs" are highly selective and irritatingly one-sided. If one has a even a remotely balanced view of federal law enforcement and their tactics, this is a galling read. I don't want to rehash all of them, so I'll stick to some specific points and observations for the purpose of this review.

This is just personal opinion - but that's kind of what the reviews are for - at least to judge from the books I've read on the subject hitherto, most of which have been written by former agents: the FBI just seems to attract a certain type of individual, specifically ones with a disproportional surfeit of self-righteousness and a twisted view of self, which is seemingly amplified the higher in the ranks they rise. Because they're "heroes" in their own minds, they mistakenly believe that they're heroes to everyone else, too - which is far from the case. They often make irksome and not infrequently "off-color" statements implying that it's just the criminals and deviants who don't like them. Untrue. Authors of these books endlessly attempt to reinforce that view, even when, in my opinion, it's not warranted, hence my statements about "propaganda," but, in truth, it goes deeper than that. I've also been reading recently about psychology, and the most applicable trait I think I could use to describe many of these authors-cum-former-agents is a disturbing one: classic (pathological) narcissism. The characteristics are disturbingly uncanny.

Perhaps the most representative figure, at least the one who has written two books, now, is James Comey. Not saying the dude is a classic narcissist. That said, however, something is definitely off. Perhaps because he is the consummate politician, it's difficult to determine from his and others' writings whether they are simply playing a character - many are or have been lawyers, and lawyers are actors - in putting on a public face, or whether they are actually drinking their own kool-aid, and fully believe what they are espousing. I kind of suspect it's both. They seemingly also lack almost any degree of introspection. For example, this author writes, at one point: "Senior executives are certainly not immune to this trap, as egos and self-images tend to inflate with rank. Even U.S. presidents are not immune to their own hubris." As I noted above, and what he clearly, obviously doesn't see: that statement applies to federal agents, too. He addressed that somewhat in this section, but doesn't elaborate to the degree that it's actually a useful discussion of the subject.

These former higher-ups are also quick to extol the virtues of the employees of their respective agencies, but rarely include much material about the innumerable civil rights violations routinely committed by said employees. Example: even in this book - which Figliuzzi even attempts to justify - he writes, in one case, about someone under surveillance taking a photograph of one of their undercover surveillance agents whose cover was blown. He writes: "...they [the group being surveilled] found a couple of our vehicles and they made a point of walking right up to and past those cars. The following night, one of them had a camera. Sure enough, they found a surveillance unit and snapped a photo of the driver. Our full-time surveillance agents operate undercover. They don't like it when a bad guy [was it a bad guy? Had this person been arrested, charged and/or convicted?] takes their photo. IN FACT, HYPOTHETICALLY ONE OF THOSE AGENTS JUST MIGHT DECIDE TO RUN UP BEHIND THE GUY WITH THE CAMERA, YANK IT OUT OF HIS HANDS, AND KEEP RUNNING. YOU KNOW, HYPOTHETICALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN ON A DARK CITY STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I'M JUST SAYING." (emph. mine)

What the author was "saying" was that multiple aggravated felonies occurred at the hands of a federal agent, if, as he intones, this incident actually did occur. A person has a constitutional right to photograph federal employees in a public place (i.e., on a city street). I'm not a lawyer, but I believe that multiple charges would ordinarily apply here, including any other associates present, as accessories after the fact. The "agent" clearly committed strong-arm and/or armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon (assuming that the agent in question was armed at the time), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and multiple civil rights violations, starting with a Bane Act violation and Deprivation of Rights Under the Color of Law, a federal crime which, depending on severity, actually can incur the DEATH PENALTY.

"Heroes," anyone?

His statement, "when a government official betrays their office [or their oath], they are betraying the public trust" just rings hollow in the wake of his shameless bragging about an agent acting as though law doesn't apply to them by committing several aggravated felonies and civil rights violations.

They talk the talk but they often don't walk the walk, "7 C's" notwithstanding. Straight-up narcissism.

As I noted above, not only the "bad guys" have problems with the FBI and other agencies, which their leaders frequently fail to acknowledge, simply writing off the objections of their detractors, many of whom have perfectly legitimate reasons for criticism, and, not infrequently, federal lawsuits, including for egregious civil rights violations. The FBI, for example, has been sued multiple times in recent years for harassment of and violations against Muslim-Americans - the most recent example I'm aware of is the US Supreme Court's acceptance of a case regarding alleged civil rights violations in Orange County, California, whereby the FBI was accused of illegally surveilling three Muslim men in violation of their Fourth Amendment rights, which, according to court documents, is a not-uncommon occurrence. According to the Supreme Court brief, the FBI wants to avoid legal liability and, no doubt, more embarrassment, by hiding behind the nebulous "state secrets privilege," as a way to cover up their likely-illegal activities.

But... sunlight IS often the best disinfectant.

Another case involved yet another Muslim man, Ahmad Chebli, who alleges in yet another lawsuit against the FBI, that in 2018, an FBI agent repeatedly approached and pressured him to become a "snitch," on account of his language skills and "Lebanese background." When he refused, in retaliation, the US government placed him on a no-fly list, which essentially constitutes an indefinite air-travel ban. This was also after the US Supreme Court ruled that three other Muslim men who were placed on the no-fly list after refusing to serve as FBI snitches, at risk to their and their families' lives and safety, could hold the federal agents financially liable for the same activity. I don't want to go into it here, but read about the Chebli case, if you want a balanced view of federal agents: they do good, in stopping "terrorism," but at what cost? What happened to this individual - and his family members when he refused to become an FBI stooge is reprehensible: even his family wasn't spared from horrific abuses and attacks by these self-fashioned "heroes" in the Bureau, who threatened to deny his wife's naturalization status, among other despicable behavior, solely for the purpose of retaliation and intimidation.

Here's where the disconnect is most manifest: suspected criminals don't have civil rights protections in the minds of these federal servants, and can be robbed by an armed assailant, among other things ... who happens to be a federal agent... because they're under surveillance as a suspected criminal? That makes these agents righteous, how? Shocking, but not really. This book was a good read as an example of the aforementioned disconnect between these agents' perceived realities, in their own minds, and how they appear to everyone else. It's useful for that purpose alone.

In sum, I think this was a missed opportunity: a few high-profile examples of internal regulation appear, but it could have been utilized much more effectively, honestly, and in a far more balanced and candid manor.

[Yaryna Zhukorska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Навіть якщо вам нецікава система ФБР чи їх кодекс, книга має всі шанси вам сподобатися.
Книга читається на одному диханні.

Сподобається і тим, кому сподобалася «Вища вірність» Джеймса Комі, і «Моссад» Міхаеля Бар-Зохара та Ніссіма Мішаля.

Мені сподобалася більше, ніж Джеймса Комі «Вища вірність». Вони обидві про ФБР та його цінності, але книга Комі занадто про нього самого - майже культ особистості, ця ж дійсно про цінності як такі.

Дуже гарний переклад.

Розслідування теракту 11 вересня, справи у Ґуантанамо та сибірку в конвертах й інші гучні, про які ви точно чули, і ще багато інших, про які ви не чули.

🧷 Досить багато людей, навіть ті, хто має сильний особистий кодекс, схоже, не в змозі вийти за межі того, ким вони себе вважають, і чесно побачити особистість, якою вони є насправді.

🧷 Люди, які вважали себе особливо чесними і загалом мали підвищене почуття власної гідності, з більшою ймовірністю брехали, стикаючись із правопорушеннями, ніж ті, хто вважав себе чесними посередньо.

🧷 Ясність може бути особливо невловимою серед хаосу.

🧷 Деколи ми мусимо прийняти те, на що немає відповіді.

🧷 Ясність стосовно того, хто ви і яка ваша місія, може бути так само важливою, як і розуміння того, ким ви не є та чого вам ніколи не слід робити.

🧷 Можливо, ви ніколи не зіткнетеся з моральною проблемою через розкриття вбивства або ліквідацію терористичного осередку, але, напевно, зіткнетеся з вибором між тим, що правильно, і тим, що легко. У вас виникне спокуса виправдати легший вибір, переконавши себе, що мета варта засобу. Ви пошкодуєте про це.

🧷 Інколи правильні дії призводять до неприємних наслідків.

🧷 Щоб заслуговувати на довіру, вам не треба бути досконалим, просто прагніть зробити все правильно.

🧷 Щоб зберегти наші основні цінності, ми всі неминуче маємо змінюватися, адаптовуватися й переходити до нових способів збереження та розвитку того, що для нас дороге.

#451deepreading

[Izza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars | interesting read!

[Chris Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read! Great powerful fun read.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Stories of his climb to the top of his profession were very interesting. Actual cases he describes, I remember when they were in the news. Especially the one about the Anthrax deaths. Being a postal service veteran of 42 years, that came close to home for me. Very good book

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can’t live by two codes at once. You also can’t spot and avoid the kinds of codes and conduct that threaten your values if you never even develop a strong sense of what it is that you value. You’ll never see the threat coming... Our lives and livelihoods are enhanced when we know what we stand for.” ~ Frank Figliuzzi FBI

I can’t begin to describe how much I enjoyed this book! It wasn’t just full of interesting FBI scenarios and facts, but I also learned a lot about values and how to build integrity in my daily life. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the FBI, as well as those who are looking for an interesting self-improvement book. The FBI Way is two in one, and it’s a book I’ll be reading again and again.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Figliuzzi spends seven chapters telling war stories about his time in the FBI organized around leadership themes. The stories are mostly interesting and Figliuzzi does a good job getting to the point of his stories and hos it illustrates his theme. Figliuzzi does an excellent job highlighting some aspects of leadership that are not emphasized in other memoirs and books on leadership, such as the importance of understanding an individual's personal circumstances regarding a mistake and helping them recover. That the leadership lessons continue to resonate and should be understood by leaders and managers in the public and private sector and in politics shows how, unfortunately, bad leaders persist.

The premise of The FBI Way is unique and engaging. Figliuzzi spent several tours as an inspector in the FBI, acting in an internal affairs role. The FBI process of gathering facts, organizing them, and then presenting them to prosecutors or to senior agents to make decisions offers lessons that leaders in any organization can learn. Sometimes corrupt people get away with bad things because they are well-liked, and sometimes good people get punished harshly for either honest mistakes or for circumstances where it would be better to get them help. The FBI way, according to Figliuzzi, is to seek to understand the truth regarding an incident and then make an unbiased decision.

While Figliuzzi's book is engaging and well written, he misses the opportunity to truly emphasize the lessons of his career. Figliuzzi offers his book as a model of FBI leadership and excellence, but the book is mostly anecdotes and does not offer a well-structured model of leadership. Figliuzzi's book would have been more interesting as a conventional memoir that emphasized leadership lessons, or as a leadership model that drew on personal anecdotes. Figiuzzi loses the impact of a compelling memoir or of an inspirational leadership book by losing focus on these two aims.

In an era where the public and the media seem to understand how law enforcement works, even as many people respect the work of police officers, Figliuzzi opts to write his book as if he is giving a seminar for mid-career managers, rather than one walking a random member of the general public through the ethics of the FBI. At a time when Americans across the political spectrum are losing faith in law enforcement Figliuzzi opted to limit his target audience to executives and people who want to be executives. Figliuzzi has enough compelling stories to satisfy both goals, so it is strange that he only focused on one.

Figliuzzi spends little time focusing on his own mistakes, which is also disappointing. It is admirable that Figliuzzi told the story of when he developed insomnia, sought help, and continued his career. It is also admirable that he tells how he personally intervened to save the careers of other people who many others would have fired with great prejudice. However, many lessons of leadership come through trial and error, and Figliuzzi is a gifted writer that could have told some insightful stories into times that he missed deadlines, failed to make a case, or let a partner down, and how those lessons helped him develop the empathy he would apply later as the lead inspector.

Despite these faults, The FBI Way is worth reading. It is interesting, engaging, and it would not be disappointing if future authors use Figliuzzi as their starting point to expand on his model of leadership.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free proof of this book with the suggestion that I review it. I've skimmed some of the other reviews, a few of which seem to miss Figliuzzi's point. I also have to admit that one of his sons is a former student of mine (who did well) and that I'd already "wished" for the book on Amazon. Figliuzzi writes about how to lead and create an organization that almost always achieves its goals and makes almost all of its members responsible for that accomplishment and maintains good morale -- a "field-tested playbook for unlocking excellence." He mentions several times that he is not recommending how to create a perfect organization. He uses his lengthy service to the FBI to illustrate the elements of a good organization. He does drop a political opinion here and there. After all, one of his jobs since he retired from the FBI is as a frequent national security contributor on NBC and MSNBC. However, these opinions, too, are examples of the very thing he's discussing: how an organization achieves its goals or doesn't and sometimes why it does or doesn't.
While I read Figliuzzi's book, I thought how useful it would have been when I was teaching team work in my technical writing classes. Rather than the rather boring step-by-step process text I was using (however relevant), it seemed as if The FBI Way would have been more interesting to read and more relevant for those students who needed team work skills in the jobs they'd be performing in a few years.
Not really a "pulse-pounding memoir," as Amazon calls it, not a "tell-all" or biography, and not all boring textbook, either, The FBI Way is an interesting way to get some tips on how the FBI does "it" and how those principles can be applied in one's own organization or family (to some degree).
I gave it four stars because, since it was an uncorrected proof, it had no index and a few grammar issues.

[S. Wigget · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm reading Stamped from the Beginning and wanting to read more stuff by Angela Davis.

On Goodreads, I clicked on "Amazon" to add _The Angela Y. Davis Reader_ to my wishlist (and later buy on Bookshop.org). On Amazon, the book I sought was listed second, not first. The book listed first was, of all things, The FBI Way--as in, a book praising the organization that put out a womanhunt on Angela Y.  Davis. Fuck you very much, Amazon.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supposedly for managers, I enjoyed it for its peek inside the FBI. Trump’s utter lack of character and integrity were mentioned in passing. I was hoping for an anecdote concerning white supremacists, but the only racial threat example involved a black group. I don’t think it was meant as a racist omission, however. The author retired from the FBI in 2012. Of course there were white terrorists back then, but the book is a sparse, quick read.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disciplined discourse on the fbi codes of conduct and company ethos, illustrated by notorious incidents from the bureau’s history. Despite the obvious bias of a career agent who, in his afterlife as a consultant, clearly benefits from a positive portrayal, the lessons of integrity and improvement, among many others, still resonates. The narrative keeps moving and peppered with some insight into current events, it makes for a good listen.

[Lisa DeSherlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FBI WAY, by Frank Figliuzzi, is part memoir, part how-to, and part history/current events. It actually transcends genres and its central focus is the institution known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Figluzzi had worked with the FBI for 25 years in multiple capacities, rising as high as Assistant Director of Counterintelligence. Because of this, he has served as National Security Analyst for TV Network MSNBC. Figliuzzi opens with an Introduction. He spreads his actual content across seven chapters. He wraps things up with an Epilogue, following it with Acknowledgements of those who made this volume possible.

From the beginning, the target audience for this book is anyone who fills any position of leadership. Your leadership can consist of running a nonprofit, a business, a place of worship, a faith-based ministry or mission, or occupy any position of power or authority. Having filled leadership positions throughout his entire career, the author speaks from his experiences in the FBI. He takers what he calls the core FBI principles and sets out to use them, showing how the reader can and should apply them to any type of leadership position he or she fills at the moment.

Figliuzzi writes in easy to understand language, so that any reader can understand what he is getting at. I did not learn much more about this author from what I already knew from what he has shared on TV and from research. He provides much information about the FBI, their mission, and about how and why they operate as they do. I would have liked to learn more about Figliuzzi the man, but from what I knew of his TV persona, I wasn't surprised about the limited personal content. His WIKIPEDIA profile, for example, contains virtually no personal details about Figliuzzi
himself. I thought he was quite tough on certain FBI leaders who appeared to have operated in good faith but exercised lousy judgement in some of their action, but he was fair.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the FBI, especially anyone who may eyes set on working for this institution. I also recommend this book for anyone in leadership who wants to improve their leadership skills, or develop these skills.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy for a book giveaway. Changes may have been made in the final volume since its publication.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Figliuzzi is one of the talking heads I see on my news station of choice, so when I discovered he wrote a book, I was interested.
He's a retired FBI agent/supervisor. This book includes stories of his time with "the Bureau." I found it very interesting. The author was a good narrator for his book.

[Birdie Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

makes sense

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My respect for the FBI definitely went up and becoming an intelligence officer sounds kinda awesome. Lots of cool stories but the author sometimes came off as self-righteous to me.

[Maj · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was exactly what I assumed it would be based on the promotional activity Frank engaged in this year. A leadership/management manual, but not the obnoxious kind. All seemed pretty logical and well conveyed to me.

Plus the stories. All of them were engaging, some of them more serious and poignant, some had their amusing side (never thought I'd emit a few guffaws reading about an anthrax attack investigation).
Yes, there could have been more stories in the book, but frankly, I enjoyed the book's succinctness.

And yes, as I assumed going in, it was indeed very nice to read an FBI book that had nothing to do with The Emails and contained only trace amounts of The Former Guy.

A note: I'm not really an audiobook kind of person, so I don't have an Audible subscription. This was the first time I was regretting it, since this particular Mr Former Agent has a voice my ears find very pleasant and a way of speaking I enjoy. Oh well, maybe at some later point I'll just buy the damn audiobook.

[Maggie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written

Always well spoken, I’ve admired Mr. Figliuzzi for a while. He documents in depth what most Americans know and respect about the FBI, but also gives us all the reasons why we are correct in believing in the agency, its employees and agents. I am not sure higher standards are set for any other organization.

I also enjoyed reading about some of the interesting cases he worked during his admirable career. We are lucky to have incredible people like him serve our country.

[Sandy Kunz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It clearly explains the FBI code, training and expectations for employees. The 7 C’s are so life relevant to all organizations and families that this book transcends THE FBI into all areas of life

[Clayton Pearlstein · Rating 1 out of 5]

Listened to the first hour of the book and realized it was just a platform for the author to bash President Trump. It doesn't matter weekday my political stance is. I just didn't want to listen to hollow propaganda. The author should have titled his book appropriately.
Did not finish.

[Bill Powers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing more than a platform for the author's political views and propaganda.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re expecting a dry read, this isn’t it. I’ve enjoyed Frank Figliuzzi’s appearances on TV and podcasts so when I saw this offered on Netgalley, I decided to give it a try. It never dragged or got bogged down in technical details. Instead, the author uses storytelling to illustrate the points, namely, the seven essential traits to the success of the FBI, and by extension, any business or organization: code, conservancy, clarity, consequences, compassion, credibility, and consistency. It’s a great concept and I wish more organizations took this approach.

Some of my favorite quotes/words of wisdom included: “...we perform at our best when we’re accountable for something beyond ourselves.” “Trust comes from transparency, and transparency breeds accountability.” “Restoring damaged credibility can take years, even decades, if it happens at all.”

I learned a few things too. For example, the trigger pull on the Wesson .357 Magnum revolver requires about nine pounds of pressure. “If you want to get a feel for the trigger-pull test, find a full bottle of wine, grasp it with both hands, and fully extend your arms out in front of you. Hold that position for thirty seconds,” to comprehend the weight of the gun. The trigger portion is even more demanding, best likened to picking up a full one-gallon jug of milk with only your index finger, repeatedly, over thirty seconds. It’s safe to say I won’t be applying for the FBI.

I also learned something that might be common knowledge, but I found it appalling nonetheless. “According to FBI statistics, the average age a child prostitute fell prey to a pimp was thirteen. The average life expectancy for that child after becoming a prostitute was just seven years.” This means, on average, these children are barely making it to adulthood.

There’s a fascinating story told about a covert car chase from Colorado to New York as various FBI agents surveilled a suspected terrorist by the name of Najibullah Zazi. “FBI surveillance units in state after state had been handing off Zazi like a toxic baton in a deadly relay race.” The wording of this was clever enough to capture my attention.

There’s also the story of the anthrax outbreak at AMI in Florida. The details were riveting, and I found myself having a whole new appreciation for the work done by those agents. In fact, I have a whole new appreciation for everything that they do and the underlying principles that drive them: Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity. This timing of this book could not be better. Having just endured the endless denigration of their organization over the course of the past 4 years, now more than ever, the FBI needs to rebuild its image and revive the trust that many have always had in them. I believe those who read this book will be pleasantly surprised to discover the caliber of people consistently chosen for the US’s elite police force. I know I am.

[S. Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author was subsequently found to have completely fabricated part of the book, "The FBI Way," after 10 FBI Agents came forward in true name to say he lied. Unfortunately, the liberal media made sure to completely bury the story. So, buyer beware.

Here's the story: After "The FBI Way" was published, the publisher was contacted because Mr. Figliuzzi was alleged to have completely fabricated an incident involving an FBI Agent "making it rain" and mishandling evidence money in the back of an armored truck. Figliuzzi vehemently denied the accusation and said the FBI's file was full of statements from other agents who had seen the agent mishandling the evidence. Unfortunately for Mr. Figliuzzi, the FBI Agent he lied about located several current and retired FBI Agents who were witnesses to refute Figliuzzi's version. On 06/24/2021, after interviewing the witnesses, www.ticklethewire.com ran a story entitled "Agents Accuse Ex-FBI Executive Frank Figliuzzi of Fabricating Passage in His Book." After that story came out, additional (retired) FBI Agents stepped forward and said Figliuzzi had completely lied in the book about the event. When contacted about the additional witnesses, Figliuzzi actually changed his version of events (i.e., he changed what he wrote in "The FBI Way") to indicate the agents had picked the money up then let it fall back into the box. Again, this wasn't true and on 07/20/2021, based on the additional witnesses, www.ticklethewire.com ran another story entitled "Growing Number of FBI Agents Accuse MSNBC Commentator Frank Figliuzzi of Fabricating Passage in His Book on Bureau Ethics." Unfortunately, MSNBC, which Figliuzzi is a commentator for, didn't acknowledge the story or take any action. As a result, on 09/24/2021, www.deadlinedetroit.com ran a story entitled "MSNBC Commentator Frank Figliuzzi Lied In His FBI Book And The Network Doesn’t Care." On 09/27/2021, www.ticklethewire.com ran the same story entitled "Commentator Frank Figliuzzi Fabricated Passage in FBI Book and MSNBC Could Care Less."

All of the above can easily be found by searching the titles of the articles or "ticklethewire Figliuzzi."

[JAR · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand the immediate apprehensiveness of reading this book based on my or others' 2/5 star rating. However, considering that I believe the rating of books should be done in a scrupulous manner, my star rating reflects the fact that this book does a lot of good but also leaves the reader wanting much more.

Let's first look at the good. Frank Figliuzzi makes this book incredibly easy to read. Though he often talks about serious, complex, and impactful themes, he uses language that even the most inexperienced readers could understand easily and garner lessons from. It is also not too long, avoiding the disastrous quality of many books seeking to enforce principles of life onto readers. I also think great gratitude needs to be given to the author for sharing his stories. The experiences and perspectives he shares in the book are sometimes awe-inspiring, leaving you astounded by the fact that you are reading about an individual at the forefront of solving some of the most immediate crises this country has faced in the modern era. He keeps these stories succinct, never spending too long on the details while also making sure not to miss the connection between his experience and one of the lessons he wants to grant the reader. Finally, it feels worth pointing out the benefit of the educational arm of this book. It would have been very easy for the author to only discuss his personal experiences, shying away from any objective research. However, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the formation of the FBI, this book is filled with immense research describing the formation of the FBI, its complex bureaucracy, and its evolution based on the thematic criminal eras this nation experiences. In short, if you are a beginning reader lacking academic expertise in this subject but who has a natural curiosity for history, politics, and true crime, you will love this book.

Now, onto the bad, or at least the wanted. First, connecting the last sentence of the previous paragraph, this book is not for experts on the FBI and federal law enforcement. It provides the fundamentals of the Bureau's external and internal structure and workings. I think that other than the interesting stories provided by the author, an expert would find his objective understanding of the Bureau boring. Additionally, if you are an avid reader like myself, you may find this book to be almost too simple in writing. Sometimes, it feels like writing you would expect to see out of a high school curriculum in terms of its reading level, and for someone who finds a personal passion for the way in which writing can push the bounds of human understanding, the writing of this book can leave a want for a bit more from the author. A more significant issue with this book is that though I think the lessons the author teaches are valuable, I do not think they are anything groundbreaking. The stories and experiences the author shares are so ridiculously unique and insightful, but then the lessons are sometimes so basic to typical human morals that you are left asking the question, is this really all he got from that? Many of the lessons seem to be something you would often get from a typical mentor relationship. I was looking for some groundbreaking philosophical theories based on the author's experiences, and that is just something I didn't get from this book. It is also worth mentioning that though the author includes objective research in the book, that is not to say this is an objective book. The author lines his writing with personal political messaging and subjective interpretations of FBI conduct, which I in no way find to be a bad thing, just something worth signaling. I actually find the reviews stating that this kind of personal messaging should be frowned upon as disappointing as it should have been expected, considering the nature of the FBI. Finally, and in a more personal notion, I simply found myself challenging the author more than I would have wanted to. I will try to avoid spoilers, but sometimes it comes across as the author saying you should always make decisions based on the question of what the morally right thing to do is. I tend to find this way of thinking, especially in the business world, which the author references, to be naive.

All in all, this was a wonderful read, especially for those who fit the above-mentioned demographics, but it is nothing life-altering.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Figliuzzi’s nonfiction THE FBI WAY: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence is better than I expected. The book’s chapters are organized under the “Seven C’s” – seven concepts he says underlie the strength of the FBI. Implementing the seven concepts, he says, could improve any organization or individual. The seven concepts:

1. Code – the core values everyone in the organization should share - a belief in integrity.

2. Conservancy – the collective effort to preserve and protect the worth of an organization, place or thing.

3. Clarity – the organization’s rules and priorities must be clear, facts should be developed as clearly as possible under the circumstances before making a final decision

4. Consequences - Actions have consequences. It’s best if everyone knew the range of consequences beforehand; and in making decision took in consideration possible consequences of decision and actions.

5. Compassion -consideration of fellow agents’ distresses, and consideration of victim’s distresses; and work to ameliorate them.

6. Credibility – Outsiders must believe in the organization and the values it espouses.

7. Consistency – Consistency adhere to your core values, even when (or especially when) a novel challenge appears. Make challenges in the organization is necessary to improve the organizations’ seven C’s.

The seven C’s can be vague in the abstract. Figliuzzi, who spent years in the FBI, fleshes out the concepts with specific events from his career. Even if you blow off the Seven C’s, the stories - many from high profile cases – are interesting in themselves.

Frank Figliuzzi definitely is a company man, and proud of it.

It’s a fast read. After a slow start, it gets interesting. Very worthwhile.

4 stars

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very energetic and enthusiastic description and defense of the FBI's core values, standards, and internal processes that keep the bureau on the right track. There are a lot of excellent points made which have application for organizational excellence. Some of stories told reflect the intensity and costs of extended combat operations, a point many civilians would find exceptionally difficult to endure. Flexibility and adaptability to change are emphasized throughout the book; however, one point about change is usually overlooked: the genesis of that change. Rarely does one hear about considering why the "need for change?" It is usually assumed to be necessary when perhaps "change" means modified definitions or procedures driven by someone trying to appear bright and innovative instead of improving efficacy. Considering this point reinforces Figliuzzi's main theme of sustaining the FBI's core values when fulfilling its mission. He explains how they did this while adapting to serious domestic and foreign threats of an evolving nature. I do not agree with a couple of subjective assessments of a political nature but fortunately there were few. If I could make one recommendation it is to put a glossary to define all of the acronyms used. I am very familiar with how helpful it is in military and historical books in making understanding easier for readers not familiar with the terms.