The Sniper Mind

September 25, 2017
The premise of this slickly presented, if testosterone-clogged, book from search engine optimization consultant Amerland (Google Semantic Search) is that civilians who learn to synthesize hard and soft skills, as snipers do, will improve their careers, personal lives, and “executive decision-making” abilities. Each chapter of this tightly organized manual outlines a sniper skill set, such as finding competitive advantages, a relevant real-life sniper exploit and corresponding “business case,” and a concluding “sniper skill acquisition list,” or recap. Amerland’s instructions are easily replicable and simple, though sometimes they come across as too simplistic or cheesy, as when he incorporates gimmicky-sounding learning tools such as “the three pillars of self-belief.” Interspersed throughout are dramatic photos of combat sites and firearms and eye-catching graphics, such as a page from the Army’s Special Forces Sniper Training and Employment field manual. And there are plenty of dramatic headlines to amp up the book’s already macho tone, such as “Develop the Special Ops Mind-Set for Success in a Fluid Situation.” The author finishes by telling readers they are “capable now of more than anyone else around you,” possibly (at least for peaceniks) by virtue of finishing the book. Nonetheless, the connection between lethal combat skills and (presumably) nonlethal business negotiations remains unclear, though Amerland does his best to establish one.