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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
did i ever think about hostage negotiators before this book? no. do i now think it’s the coolest profession ever? yes.
I absolutely loved [a:Gary Noesner|3565877|Gary Noesner|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s [b:Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator|41017722|Stalling for Time My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator|Gary Noesner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533086045l/41017722._SY75_.jpg|13017528]Stalling for Time. It is a wonderful memoir of his time at the FBI during the infancy of hostage negotiations and the things that were learned as the Bureau went from crawling, walking to running with the (frequent) falling back to crawling as everyone learned what it meant to deal with hostage situations (including discovering that sometimes the hostage-taker doesn't want to be saved). Written in a very accessible style, the book was a quick read and worth every moment as Gary Noesner introduced the various people who were sometimes obstacles and at other times willing participants but all helping grow the base of knowledge of the psychology of hostage negotiations. Great job, Mr. Noesner!
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Fairly repetitive. Had to return it to the library before I could finish, but I did read the chapter on Waco that I wanted to.
Interesting anecdotes but not too much else. There’s a lot of macho blustering and I-told-you-so isms. The author definitely has a chip on his shoulder from feeling marginalized behind the guys with flack jackets and fancy tactical assault weapons. And beyond a few nuggets of communication expertise and reflection as to “people really want to feel listened to“ there’s not much going on here beyond the entertainment value.
Audio narrated by author. Excellent! This was very well written about an expert's fascinating career. Negotiation vs. force... What's the answer! He definitely finds the answer somewhere in between. I remember many of these crisis and it's so interesting to hear the behind the scenes accounts.
A bit self serving. Lots of “if only they had listened to me” which only works in hindsight once things go pear-shaped for those who chose to go a different route.
Not very educational, either. The book mostly covers the more interesting cases the author worked on but doesn't actually teach you any techniques or tricks. The interesting cases are also those that have been in the national media and have been combed over back and forth hundreds of times, so the narrative doesn't really add anything.
So if you have time to kill, it is mildly entertaining. But don't expect to walk away with some new knowledge.
Not very educational, either. The book mostly covers the more interesting cases the author worked on but doesn't actually teach you any techniques or tricks. The interesting cases are also those that have been in the national media and have been combed over back and forth hundreds of times, so the narrative doesn't really add anything.
So if you have time to kill, it is mildly entertaining. But don't expect to walk away with some new knowledge.
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced