During his 35 years at the CIA, Paseman moved up through a dozen promotions, serving as station chief in Germany at the height of the Cold War and chief of the East Asia division at Langley headquarters. His firsthand experience informs his evaluation of the agency's operations and its evolution since the early 1960s. Paseman makes a persuasive case that the United States needs more effective agents on the ground. For example, the United States did not have a single agent in Iraq before the war. He states flatly that the 9/11 attack was a failure of U.S. intelligence and argues that intelligence gathering can be improved by ensuring that people in the field have a thorough knowledge of the language and culture of the country where they are working. That type of agent takes time to develop, but electronic devices cannot replace what can be gained through direct observation by a trained agent. One of the best CIA memoirs published in a long while, this excellent introduction to the world of espionage is recommended for all collections.-Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.