Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life

Product Description

The New York Times bestseller that reveals the safety, security, and survival techniques that 99% of Americans don’t know—but should

When Jason Hanson joined the CIA in 2003, he never imagined that the same tactics he used as a CIA officer for counter intelligence, surveillance, and protecting agency personnel would prove to be essential in every day civilian life.

In addition to escaping handcuffs, picking locks, and spotting when someone is telling a lie, he can improvise a self-defense weapon, pack a perfect emergency kit, and disappear off the grid if necessary. He has also honed his “positive awareness”—a heightened sense of his surroundings that allows him to spot suspicious and potentially dangerous behavior—on the street, in a taxi, at the airport, when dining out, or in any other situation.

In his engaging and empowering book Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Jason shares this know-how with readers, revealing how to:


   •  prevent home invasions, carjackings, muggings, and other violent crimes
   •  run counter-surveillance and avoid becoming a soft target
   •  recognize common scams at home and abroad
   •  become a human lie detector in any setting, including business negotiations
   •  gain peace of mind by being prepared for anything instead of uninformed or afraid

With the skill of a trained operative and the relatability of a suburban dad, Jason Hanson brings his top-level training to everyday Americans in this must-have guide to staying safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

Top Reviews

Its a frustrating book!
by Abby (2 out of 5 stars)
February 16, 2016

Its a frustrating book! The majority of the book the author telling a dramatic story about the subject of the chapter, then him telling you what he is going to tell you, briefly explaining the procedure, then telling you what he just told you, but in a vague and irritating way. After almost every section he shamelessly recommends his own products and training. He presents it as the RIGHT and only way to do something. On a few of the pages, towards the bottom, the ink was misprinted, as it the printer just stopped working. 75% of the book is common knowledge and the other 25% is fairly useful. (I learned how to break free from duck tape efficiently. props for that.) It all depends on how much sifting you are wanting to do between the common knowledge and a diamond every now and then.
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Read the one star reviews before you buy
by Barclays (1 out of 5 stars)
February 17, 2017

This book just scares you and give you some common sense information, then constantly bait you to his website to direct you to buy his stuff. I don't know how this book ends up on New York best seller's list. I did not check whether author's claim was true or not.
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I hope my wife and kids read "Spy Secrets"
by Douglas Goldstein (5 out of 5 stars)
May 14, 2017

Too many people walk around with their heads in the clouds. Jason Hanson, on the other hands, keeps his wits about him at all times, and his book is filled with reminders that everyone should heed. If you feel that you or your family may be exposed to some risk (and who isn't?), take the time to go through this quick and fun book.

One of the ideas which Hanson suggests is always being alert, which he calls "yellow alert." It's just below the "red alert" that means imminent danger. A specific takeaway from this section of the book is, "Don't keep your head buried in your cell phone." If you walk down the street checking your Facebook messages, there's no way you can know what dangers lurk in the area, and bad guys see you as an ideal target.

In the event of an emergency, you must keep moving. "Get off the X," Hanson explains, meaning that rather that freezing in place, move!

To detect if something bad might be about to happen, watch out for pre-incident indicators. Is the potential criminal staring at you? Is someone matching your pacing, which is not a normal thing for people to do? Is someone trying to distract you? One member of a criminal pair might try to distract you so his partner can make a move.

Be aware of normalcy bias. People tend to think that everything is OK, even when there are counter indications. Have a baseline for what normal is, and then if something has changed go on the alert. Instead of assuming that things are OK, assume they are not and try to figure out why.

One great section in the book is what to do if you suspect someone is watching you. It's not only spies that might be under surveillance. Women, for example, might have stalkers tracking them. If you think someone is following you, and you want to confirm, move to different locations, a technique that Hanson calls taking a "surveillance detection route." And remember the CIA maxim when you want to determine if someone is just an innocent passerby or a bad guy who is following you. If you see him:

One time = an accident, Two times = a coincidence, Three times = an enemy.

If you are concerned that someone is following you, take a look at his his shoes. It's easy for someone to change his look by putting on sunglasses or a baseball cap, but generally someone does not carry a spare pair of shoes.

I particularly liked the section on telling when someone is lying. People may answer a different question than you're asking, some may claim to be religious so you don't have to worry, and others will direct their feet where they really want to go... so watch someone's feet if you think he is lying.

Another fun section is where you learn the art of disappearing. Going off the grid is a skill you may never need, but Hanson gives you a lot of the basics.

In the end of the book, you can learn some basic self defense techniques. It's hard to learn the fighting techniques from a book, though it's nice to know that you could learn them.

Jason Hanson uses the book to bring you to his websites in order to encourage you to learn more and buy some of his other programs. I don't object to the marketing in the book, but I suspect some people would. In any case, it's nice that he not only teaches you what you need to know and the tools you should have, but he makes it easy for you to find where to buy them.

I am glad I read the book, and you will be, too.
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A must for Average Joe like me!
by happygrappler (5 out of 5 stars)
September 24, 2015

If you are a Navy SEAL, police SWAT team member, or previously served as a Legionnaire in the French Foreign Legion, then perhaps this book is too rudimentary for you. However, if you are like me - Average Joe who stares at a computer all day in an office setting - then you NEED this book! I purchased it online and sent it straight to my Kindle, thinking I'd get to it over the next few weekends. When I arrived home, I fired up my iPad to make sure the book made it to my Kindle library. I started reading the first few pages. And kept reading. And kept reading. I paused a few times to test some of the techniques outlined in the book (think duct tape...yeah, it works). Then got back to reading. By 12:45 a.m. I had finished the book, and found myself wanting more. The book is cover-to-cover loaded with real-world information that you can use right now. Super well organized, and written in a sincere, genuine manner, Hanson explains everything at both the philosophical (why) and tactical (how) level, and often times uses real-world examples to make the point. Additionally, if he mentions a tool (bedside flashlight, for example), then he actually tells you what brand and model he uses; so if you are new to that tool, you have a great starting point for your research! Finally, I want to make sure readers know that this is NOT a zombie apocalypse prepper book, and is NOT a re-written manual or arms for a spy working his craft in a foreign country. It's a practical guide meant for me and you to help us think differently about our environment, about our mindset, and about our daily actions. So...'get off the X' and go buy this book. Cheers! P.S. - I am a voracious reader, and this is my very first Amazon book review...if that tells you anything about how excited I am about this product.
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This author knows what he is talking about, and I'm taking his recommendations
by K Zander (5 out of 5 stars)
February 28, 2018

I love this book. I'm going to be on the lookout for others from this author. I believe this book actually could very well safe one's life. An ounce of prevention is worth a POUND of cure people! Seriously, he is straight forward, to the point. Sure, he does mention "tactical pens" so much that I had to go out and buy one, but they aren't expensive, and just one more tool to help. No one is going to be as concerned about your health and life, and your family's health and life, as YOU. So it pays to be informed. Especially in this day and age where traveling has new risks, and where person on person crime is an issue that has made it's way into our neighborhoods. And it's not just crime protection, he covers all the bases. I'd read it, but I'd probably try to get it from the library or buy it cheap so I'd have extra money to buy more of his books or even take his survival class!
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Disappointing Snake Oil
by MT (1 out of 5 stars)
February 8, 2016

This entire book seems to be a vehicle to gain your information via the authors website.

Unfortunately the entire book is devoted to re-directing you to the authors website, where he employs basic snake oil salesman tactics of inducing a scary scenario, telling you he can help with his unique product and then offering huge discounts if you buy now, or more frequently, give up your personal information and email whereupon he will send you a $3 piece of paracord.

His websites are all written like ponzi scheme promotions with the same get rich quick word usage and layout. It does not convey a professional product.

It's unfortunate that this book has had such good reviews given the poor content and constant direction to the website as the information is of little worth and is mostly just common sense.

I was convinced the entire book was a joke when I read the part about disguises and then saw on the website one of the worst looking, unconvincing disguises I have ever seen.

There are many other, more professional books written by ex Green Berets and similar background operators. If you want a semi interesting read for the toilet, this book fits the bill. If you want to learn techniques that you may not already know, I would suggest you look for better material.
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AVOID BEING SCAMMED!!
by N. Mendes (1 out of 5 stars)
April 25, 2017

I purchased the book Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life by Jason Hanson. There are COUNTLESS mentions in the Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life to *videos you can view on the website*. But the website does not immediately show you videos, instead it signs you up for a recurring membership and clicking anywhere on the page, even NO, enrolls you.
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Simple straight forward well written common sense...and what to do if that fails. BUY this BOOK for
by Rick Smith (5 out of 5 stars)
May 18, 2018

Okay, I was doubtful. While much of this confirmed what I'd known from military service in the intel field, I was pleased to get the reinforcement. The great part was that I learned some new things too. This is not going to require taking on a life changing project in the way some do, this is 90% mental preparation, meaning how to view your surroundings, or situational awareness. What this book will do is make you safer in your day to day life, while it offers effective reactions to bad situations the goal is not to get into that bad situation and this is good basic information on just that.

You should read it, then your spouse should read it, then you should both go over it with your kids after they read it.

Some of these techniques could very well save your life, that's absolutely true, but hopefully this book will save your life by keeping you from putting your life at risk in the first place. It's very readable, well done. Buy the book.
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Look elsewhere for this type of material - the book is advertising for the author's web site.
by Scrod (1 out of 5 stars)
February 3, 2016

First the good. There is actually some (available from other sources) useful information in the book. Now the bad, the book is a sales brochure for the author's web site and classes. I understand and accept that if you have a web site you should mention it in a book. I have no issue with that. I see it in tech related books frequently as technology changes at a rapid rate. This is not that. This book is a vehicle for you to go to the authors web site to buy "free" stuff or enroll in some class etc. Want to see a video of something? Go to the authors web site and give him some personal information and you can see a video.... that you go to and see on YouTube right now... without "registering". Here is a classic example of why I refuse to go more than one star on this book. "I've tested out every tactical pen that's out there, (really, every single one? Wow!) and my favorite costs $35.00. You can see the tactical pen I use at TacticalSpyPen.com". Wait. What? I bought and paid for this book, but the author with going to try and bait me to his web site to deliver information I purchased. That is sleazy. No sale.
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My favorite was when the author said that Chances are a ...
by Trail Boss (1 out of 5 stars)
January 21, 2016

Save your money, I bought this book as a potential reference guide for my students. This book has no photos or diagrams, and is full of basic knowledge you can get just about anywhere. My favorite was when the author said that Chances are a criminal will not duct tape or secure your arms behind your back. Really? And he got this information from who? As a retired chief of detectives and person who has worked extensively out of the country on assignment that is a new one on me.
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This author knows what he is talking about, and I'm taking his recommendations
by K Zander,Top Contributor: Pets (5 out of 5 stars)
February 28, 2018

I love this book. I'm going to be on the lookout for others from this author. I believe this book actually could very well safe one's life. An ounce of prevention is worth a POUND of cure people! Seriously, he is straight forward, to the point. Sure, he does mention "tactical pens" so much that I had to go out and buy one, but they aren't expensive, and just one more tool to help. No one is going to be as concerned about your health and life, and your family's health and life, as YOU. So it pays to be informed. Especially in this day and age where traveling has new risks, and where person on person crime is an issue that has made it's way into our neighborhoods. And it's not just crime protection, he covers all the bases. I'd read it, but I'd probably try to get it from the library or buy it cheap so I'd have extra money to buy more of his books or even take his survival class!

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