Get the Truth

October 15, 2014

Former CIA officers Houston, Michael Floyd, and Susan Carnicero (coauthors, Spy the Lie) reunite to illustrate their process for obtaining the truth, drawing upon a range of examples from decades of experience in the field. The book brims with vignettes that are sure to entertain a popular audience. Though the authors distinguish their elicitation techniques from those portrayed on TV, each example is worthy of a prime time slot: an agent for the KGB comes clean about his plans to become a double agent, a police officer confesses to inappropriate conduct with a minor, and a CIA officer admits to selling secrets to a suave foreign spy. Even the O.J. Simpson case makes an appearance or two. Beyond their entertainment value, the cases prove that the authors' methods--such as keeping interviewees in short-term thinking mode, giving an empathetic monolog, and handling denials and emotional outbursts--are humane and effective. Perhaps the only downside of the accounts is that the person at the other end of every elicitation is always lying. The authors don't cover situations in which the interrogator doesn't know (or presume to know) the whole truth. VERDICT A concise, entertaining description of humane methods for getting the truth from those reluctant to admit it.--Paul Stenis, Pepperdine Univ. Lib., Malibu, CA

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