The author of the book is pro CIA, which they sort of mentioning in the beginning when it mentions “The material in this book has been reviewed and approved by the CIA.”

That doesn't mean the author doesn't take opportunities to mention times when they hated working for the CIA, such as “It surprised me that an organization that relied so heavily on the absolute loyalty of its employees, such as the CIA, would be so thoroughly unimpressed by my sense of obligation to my students.”

Lindsay does include thing's that other books don't, such as “As we celebrated, however, Brenda brooded over the injustices that had been wreaked upon her. She kept a careful record of her bruises and, weeks later, would threaten to sue the Agency, thereby eliminating the POW exercise for future trainees.”

Of course, the only reason Lindsay even had time to write this book was because she left the CIA, “In the aftermath of September 11, I should have felt motivated to be a better case officer. But the actions, or lack thereof, of the CIA had caused me to lose faith altogether.”

Overall, not my favourite book about the CIA. It does include details I sometimes found irrelevant. While this book can add to your knowledge, I would suggest starting with a different one. ( )

This is certainly no James Bond novel. James Bond novels involve villains plotting to take over the world. This book starred a woman who was plotting to take over my last nerve.

I was expecting some joking/ridicule of the CIA from this book. She painted the CIA more like "The Office" filled with horribly incompetent agents - especially herself.

She comes across as whiny and I felt more like I was reading a Sex and the City episode with Lindsay so preoccupied with rock climbing, boyfriends and quality time with her girl friends.

If Lindsay is the type of person gathering intelligence, I worry for the safety of America. If she's the type of writer that America is producing now ... well, she's a decent enough writer.

This is a 1.3 star book. ( )

I love books that give me insight that I would not otherwise have and this is one of them . Surprising how mundane her life really is . But the book is anything but . ( )

This is one of those true stories that reads like fiction. Lindsay Moran's memoir of the training and occupation of a CIA operative gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a secret world. I would have liked to know what hoops she had to go through to be able to tell her tale, but unfortunately that isn't covered. She makes the loneliness and mundane tasks involved in being an agent much too real. Also of interest is the impact that 9/11/11 had on her world, and by extension the CIA. ( )

Quick, fun read. An insightful look into the life of a CIA agent. While the job initially exposes itself to be less exciting than imagined, the reader quickly learns that the real life of CIA agent can be just as intriguing as portrayed in the movies. Lindsay Moran is Evelyn Salt. ( )