Book Review : - LETHAL SECRETS

“Head shots are personal”. They are about revenge and leveling scores. And then “the shooter returned along the cow path, moving casually, without the slightest hurry”.

Pete Earley has given his best shot at immortalizing Vladimir Mikhailovich Khrenkov; in literary parlance; and has arguably succeeded. The likes of Connor Fitzgerald have been matched by the unflinching sharpshooter. I really love snipers in stories and Khrenkov is no exception.

Secret Service agencies have for long been interesting writing. But Pete goes one step further by portraying the intel quagmire of America’s cluttered anti-terrorism mechanism.

The starkness of contrasting America and Russia as free world vis-à-vis reeking Communist is passé but has been employed with clarity by this former Washington post reporter. America’s cold war precautions are oft publicized and in America it was a way of spreading word that the nation was one up in providing its rulers safety and immunity from the tirade of nuclear war. But I am pretty sure that Russians too had in place mechanisms worth comparison or even more. But the secrets are still in safe hands. There have been no media leaks or unwitting publicity stunts. Guess who is victor!

Back to ‘lethal secrets’ a mish-mash of American, Russian and Chechen realities and biases! Moe the viper is an analogy of the existing warlords in Chechnya, sure. His transformation from being a bright philosophical student to the cold-blooded fighter was accentuated by Russian atrocities. When have occupying forces been benefactors?

The book is not mute when it points out that the quest for oil has made villains out of Russia as well as America. I found undercurrent thoughts suggesting that America is not the sole super-power since Russia still clings on though with a disheveled mechanism. Russia still holds sway in American policy decisions towards the former Soviet bloc nations partly because of America’s unwanted adventurisms elsewhere.

Holding America hostage to nuclear havoc and the way the bomb is disposed all count for mere sensationalism. They are not the vital issues for me. But the plight of nations at constant war, big bossedness of militarily powerful nations, gross human rights violations etc are.

In the book individual rivalries and disagreements within the forces and the goodwill between people are at times the issues. Even a bit of sex and harassment finds space in the pages. But I still feel a dearth of research when compared to my favourite, that being Crichton. I would disagree with ‘Pete Earley’s eye for detail’ as suggested by Mike Segar.

Wyatt Conway shall soon be forgotten, so shall be Kimberly Lodge. It is only Khrenkov and Moe who will call the shots in the end. Both are real survivors and I found in them certain integrity of character. I give the book a 3 on 5. That would translate into ‘readable’.

Book Review:- One night at the call center

Screw it ! God never makes phone-calls nor is military uncle a wisecrack, he is jus pure dipshit!

People fool others writing no-good books and givin it awful lotta a publicity vis-à-vis a few enigmantic characters, phonecalls, sex, sleaze, technocrap, holy new cars and American helholish iq.

Like what are the issues addressed in one night @ the call center.

1) repugnant managerial lingo

2) avg Americans’ below avg iq and India’s pre-disposition 2 intelligence, der 35=10 rul et al

3) cash starved Indians r puppets in de hands of rich Americans , only dis time de puppets r intelligent.What use!

4) Modeling – de false dream

5) NRI groom. Mr achiever in America wooing all de pretty girls bak home

6) Gen gap dipshit

7) Et shunning ur old parents theory

8) The inner call brouhaha

9) God being wid u…

10) youth f**in wastin their potential

So whatz this guy chetan been doin with his new book.

Ya sure I really like his 5. that topped der charts.

Being a college student ya I cud empathize atleast. And the book wuz cool time pass

And there was all the banging given to the poor head’s gorgeous daughter by a fat low-grader. And again ppl read it coz they cud empathize and vicariously enjoy der cool life therein.

But one night is a real no-good. Ya all those issues are being dealt with. But I never gained anything from the book. I never came out enlightened. Therz nothing to fuel you mann. Ya BPOs may well empathize with the guys in de book, s/w guys wud sympathize, Europeans wud apathize- and care no f**g hoots. Even students wud b curious 2 knw abt BPOs and American dreams. But wher is the research behind the book.

Take rising sun by chricton for a sample comparison. Therez real concept and real research therein. Like real and in-depth analysis on the particular peril expressed therein. Solid connections with the real world!! Wisdom and recognition of what is as is.

Economic behaviour of nations, language classes, murder, investigation, danger, on the edginess, how experience counts, golf, dope, politics, tech and not technocrap. Name it and Crichton has weaved it in.

But here chetan has atmost made a mishmash out of a few otherwise thought-provoking bottom-lines (of which he never reached to the bottom of it!). So friends don’t evr buy this book. Atmost borrow it and read it fu**g once. Not more. And then forget the time it killed

.

I will giv it one star outta five because it has atleast handled the youth’s sensibilities and biases with sensitivity and/or truth. Like that’s not hard for a 30yr old writer. Ya the girls talking amongst themselves in bio sessions! Vroom eavesdroppin! Cutting down the cigarettes! The bed lounge and bar! That’s all good handling and that’s about it.