Gatekeeper

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Gatekeeper by John F. Sullivan, Potomac Books Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John F. Sullivan ISBN: 9781597973267
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. Publication: April 30, 2007
Imprint: Potomac Books Inc. Language: English
Author: John F. Sullivan
ISBN: 9781597973267
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Publication: April 30, 2007
Imprint: Potomac Books Inc.
Language: English
John F. Sullivan was a polygraph examiner with the CIA for thirty-one years, during which time he conducted more tests than anyone in the history of the CIA's program. The lie detectors act as the Agency's gatekeepers, preventing foreign agents, unsuitable applicants, and employees guilty of misconduct from penetrating or harming the Agency. Here Sullivan describes his methods, emphasizing the importance of psychology and the examiners' skills in a successful polygraph program. Sullivan acknowledges that using the polygraph effectively is an art as much as a science, yet he convincingly argues that it remains a highly reliable screening device, more successful and less costly than the other primary method, background investigation. In the thousands of tests that Sullivan conducted, he discovered double agents, applicants with criminal backgrounds, and employee misconduct, including compromising affairs and the mishandling of classified information.

But Gatekeeper is more than Sullivan's memoirs. It is also a window to the often acrimonious and sometimes alarming internal politics of the CIA: the turf wars over resources, personnel, and mandate; the slow implementation of quality control; the aversion to risk-taking; and the overzealous pursuit of disqualifying information. In an age when the intelligence community's conduct is rightly being questioned, Sullivan contributes a fascinating personal account of one of the Agency's many important tasks.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
John F. Sullivan was a polygraph examiner with the CIA for thirty-one years, during which time he conducted more tests than anyone in the history of the CIA's program. The lie detectors act as the Agency's gatekeepers, preventing foreign agents, unsuitable applicants, and employees guilty of misconduct from penetrating or harming the Agency. Here Sullivan describes his methods, emphasizing the importance of psychology and the examiners' skills in a successful polygraph program. Sullivan acknowledges that using the polygraph effectively is an art as much as a science, yet he convincingly argues that it remains a highly reliable screening device, more successful and less costly than the other primary method, background investigation. In the thousands of tests that Sullivan conducted, he discovered double agents, applicants with criminal backgrounds, and employee misconduct, including compromising affairs and the mishandling of classified information.

But Gatekeeper is more than Sullivan's memoirs. It is also a window to the often acrimonious and sometimes alarming internal politics of the CIA: the turf wars over resources, personnel, and mandate; the slow implementation of quality control; the aversion to risk-taking; and the overzealous pursuit of disqualifying information. In an age when the intelligence community's conduct is rightly being questioned, Sullivan contributes a fascinating personal account of one of the Agency's many important tasks.

More books from Potomac Books Inc.

Cover of the book Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Personality, Character, and Leadership In The White House by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian MacKintosh by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book 102 Days of War by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Surviving Twice by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Games' Most Wanted by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book The One that Got Away by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Haunted Victory by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Operation Overflight by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Envoy to the Terror by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Sand in the Gears by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book Burying the Black Sox by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book The Future of War by John F. Sullivan
Cover of the book The Rise and Fall of Détente: American Foreign Policy and the Transformation of the Cold War by John F. Sullivan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy