Corporate espionage is an inescapable reality of the modern global business world. The Grey Line is the comprehensive examination of how modern day private sector spies operate, who they target, how they penetrate secure systems and subvert vulnerable employees. Additionally, the book provides invaluable resources for companies and individuals to use in deterring and defeating corporate spies.
This book was a good look to the corporate espionage world. Very informative, yet the way it was written was raw and needs to be proofread. It was easy to follow but repetitive. I did learn quite a bit from it but would not in particularly recommend it to anyone. Three stars is generous, but it was a useful book.
Definitely a split review. 4 stars for useful information about corporate espionage and how to conduct it. Very meaty and thorough on techniques, reasons to engage, counter-intelligence, etc. Brown definitely knows his stuff there. Definitely refreshing after reading my other textbook on state intelligence.
1 star for sheer misogyny and poor proofreading. I assume it was self-published and unedited despite the acknowledgments to various individuals for reading it because there are so many grammar mistakes. (Sever instead of severe being the most common.)
The worst of the misogyny occurs during the first 200 pages where Brown discusses collection. In fact, that whole first section will make most people feel pretty disgusted. And I know most targets will be male, but resorting to the standard hookers and blow honeypot to blackmail someone is pretty dirty as is the advice to threaten someone's mistress, exploit single mothers, and find outlets for your source's vices. Add in a good dose of how exploiting a source is very similar to seducing a woman (yes, Brown goes THERE) because they need gifts, attention, coaching, etc. and most female intelligence professionals will need to vomit. Then there's quite a bit about feeding the male ego (always a good time) that will make you want to give up before you get anywhere good. Stick with it though, ladies, because there is solid information under the disgusting chauvinistic veneer that is the first section.