Inside Job: Deep Undercover As a Corporate Spy

by Kenneth C. Bucchi

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, there was a sudden void in intelligence and covert operations, and companies began hiring spies to protect their secrets, gain an edge on the competition, and keep an eye on their employees. Inside Job is the fascinating, often harrowing story of one of those spies and his undercover investigation of illegal activities-especially drug dealing-at a Boise Cascade plywood mill in Medford, Oregon. After a three-year stint in a CIA drug-interdiction operation, Ken Bucchi went to work at the plant for Krout and Schneider, a corporate investigations firm, on behalf of Boise management. Cloaking himself as an ordinary mill worker, he played the role of a prolific "crank" dealer. He clawed his way to the center of the illicit circle and established himself as the most ruthless and feared employee in the workplace. By turns humorous and frightening, Inside Job is gripping. The story that unfolds is laced with mortal danger, profound ethical dilemmas, forbidden love, rape, fraud, racial harassment, and gun running, as well as the most fantastic drug distribution scheme imaginable. Peril and suspense lurk behind every page. Even though it reads like a thriller, Inside Job is all true. And given the issues of protecting individuals' Constitutional rights to privacy and due legal process versus management's responsibility to eradicate illegal activity and racial and sexual harassment in the workplace, it will change the way people look at corporate America forever.

305 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sounded like an interesting book at first, but I just couldn't deal with the authors writing style. Too self-indulgent and cocky. Plus, I think the story was highly embellished, to the point of bordering on fiction. Maybe not, but it was like listening to a drunk buddy go on and on about a "war story" from his past.

[Jona Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stay clear of this boring, boring book.

[Matthew S. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing what this guy went through to do his job as an undercover spy

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

On one hand, this was an interesting book. I didn't realize the depth of drugs in certain organizations, on the factory floor, etc. I learned a lot. Additionally, to avoid detection, the manner people treated their co-workers in emergency, first-aid situations, fires, etc in a drug-riddled workplace was compelling.

Otherwise, this book, although proposed to be a true story-didn't appeal to me for some reason. The author made himself out to be a James Bond/Indiana Jones type, who is quick to the draw, always witty, completely competent on the machines, and gets the girl to boot. Seems a little too perfect. Throw in a private-plane near-crash and shoot out, a little too "Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc" to seem true.

Additionally, he seems to take a condescending tone with some of the factory workers, with his Bible Thumping attitude, seeing the others as Dumb factory workers.