The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture
by Encounter Books

	The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture
	Customer Rating: Sales Rank: 17107 Available from Amazon
	$18.45

Book Description

After spending decades as an agent to the CIA, Ishmael Jones unravels the blunders and grave mistakes the US has made over the years. Jones conveys a true feel for the facts of real clandestine work. He tells his story straight, with dry wit, and takes personal blame where blame is due. Recently leaving the CIA to write this memoir, and with additional edits to conceal identities, the CIA has approved its publication.

Reader Reviews

An excellent anecdotal and biographical read that can, at times, make you laugh out loud. Jones, an alias, is idealistic, yet pragmatic in his approach to his job. With the help of his intelligent and supportive wife, he "fights the good fight" against terrorists and rogue nations while fending off bureaucratic obstructionists subverting his efforts overseas to gather WMD intelligence. Government employees will recognize some of his antagonists as typical of civil service, or even organizational behavior in general. Jones smooths over red-tape in his career by funding much of his operations out his own pocket ahead of re-imbursement, in one case up to 238,000 US dollars! He points to specific examples of Agency opportunists who blatantly steal or cheat U.S. taxpayers out of salary, contracts, and benefits. Recurring themes of poor policy, government waste, and petty bureaucratic animosity are: Contractors coming back after retirement to drink coffee and fleece the agency, husband and wife agency employees he calls OFTPOTS, poor backstopping of agent covers, and chronic, pathological deceit of Congress. Again, much of this will resonate with goverment workers in some of the other ninety-plus agencies protecting Americans both home and abroad. Hopefully, the book will be a source of policy change starting with husband and wife employees. Invariably, one, or in Jone's case, both, are managers. If they don't like you, it is like being on the losing end of WWF Tag Team Wrestling, they are, to me, the very definition of a Conspiracy. Jones, as mentioned in other reviews, has donated his proceeds (I chose that word specifically) which should lessen his exposure to possible Agency initiated retaliation, or litigation for not obtaining complete pre-publication authorization. I hope the CIA has more class than to take "pot shots" at him for simply making them look ridiculous. On a final note, Jones has a paragraph attributed to Peter Maas's book Manhunt about a rogue ex-CIA officer eventually prosecuted for helping Libya obtain explosives and training used for terrorist plots. You can pick the book up in Hardcover for as little, according to Amazon.com, for a penny. For what is is worth, my two-cents, please add that to your reading list as well!