I wasn’t the kind of person who would get so excited over a book recommendation from a podcast. But for some reason, the book Spy Secret That Can Save Your Life was enough to make me excited about the book.

I even went to Amazon and searched for the book right away after I heard about it from a podcast.

Here’s the funny part. Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life isn’t the type of book I will buy.

Even funnier? I found the book to be so eye-opening and enjoyable to read. It made me feel that the book was worth buying despite the book price was more than what I usually paid for a Kindle book.

What Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life book is all about

Here’s the book description that I take from Amazon.

When Jason Hanson joined the CIA in 2003, he never imagined that the same tactics he used as a CIA officer for counterintelligence, surveillance, and protecting agency personnel would prove to be essential in every day civilian life.

In addition to escaping handcuffs, picking locks, and spotting when someone is telling a lie, he can improvise a self-defense weapon, pack a perfect emergency kit, and disappear off the grid if necessary. He has also honed his “positive awareness”—a heightened sense of his surroundings that allows him to spot suspicious and potentially dangerous behavior—on the street, in a taxi, at the airport, when dining out, or in any other situation.

In his engaging and empowering book Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Jason shares this know-how with readers, revealing how to:
•  prevent home invasions, carjackings, muggings, and other violent crimes
•  run counter-surveillance and avoid becoming a soft target
•  recognize common scams at home and abroad
•  become a human lie detector in any setting, including business negotiations
•  gain peace of mind by being prepared for anything instead of uninformed or afraid

With the skill of a trained operative and the relatability of a suburban dad, Jason Hanson brings his top-level training to everyday Americans in this must-have guide to staying safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

What do you think about the book? Does it feel like it’s something that you see in the spy movies?

Guess what, you really are learning those things for real in that book.

Why I pick Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life book

My reason for wanting the book is simple. I need a book that I can use as a reference and inspiration for my Trigger Locked series.

During the planning stage, I already decided that I want the main character, Touka Kimizuki, to be a spy.

But rather than having the main character who is just like James Bond, I prefer to have a character that embodies what spies in real life do.

That’s when the book Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life comes into play. Well, how can I say no to a book that is written by a former CIA officer, right?

I love the fact that the book covers every single aspect of being a spy from their behavior to the tools they use to get themselves out of the pinch.

What’s even better, the spy techniques mentioned in this book is simple enough to apply too. That’s important considering that Touka and her twin brother, Yuuto isn’t even spies at the beginning of the story.

So, this book does help me to portray the kind of spy training that they receive during the early days.

What I don’t expect when I read this book

It’s much easier for people to resonate with what we say if we illustrate our point with a story.

That’s also the case with this book where all chapters will include stories to convey the main point of the chapter.

I love the fact that this book includes so many real-life stories to illustrate the point. It’s thanks to these stories that I’m able to understand the techniques much better since the book doesn’t have any visual aids to illustrate the techniques.

But the problem with some of the stories is that these stories tend to paint a grim picture. It makes me feel that the world isn’t a safe place. And it also makes me think that it can happen to anyone.

I get that it’s much easier to emphasize the importance of exercising our own awareness and be fully prepared when these sort of stories are being used to illustrate the point.

So, is it wrong to use the stories with a grim picture to illustrate the point?

Of course not. In fact it makes us remember more not to slack off when it comes to being aware of our surrounding and make necessary preparations.

That is the whole point of the book.

Should you get this book?

If you want to learn how to protect yourself the way a CIA officer does, then you should definitely get this book.

Sure, the grim stories can be a little put off for some people. But hey, that’s life.

Besides, we tend to remember more because how impactful these sorts of stories are.

Where to buy the book

As always, you can get this book on Amazon at any format you prefer. I got the Kindle version of this book a long time ago.

If you’re interested in getting the book, you can buy the book right here:

Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life on Amazon

Over to you

What do you think about the book? Are you planning to buy this book? Feel free to let me know in the comment below.