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| Rules of Deception | 
 enlarge | Author: Christopher Reich
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $2.79
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Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 9986
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 0385524064
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385524063
ASIN: 0385524064
Publication Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Used Condition - GOOD can be a well cared for Book (including Audio) that is in great condition to a Book that may show some signs of wear. GOOD Books may be marked; have some spine or page creases; exibit signs of aging or an ExLibrary copy. ** Possible marking on cover. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases. Delivery is 7-14 days for standard mail. **
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| Customer Reviews:
 Be careful with this one October 8, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The book is an easy read. The quick chapters make it easy to follow. Pretty standard stuff, nothing that sets this book apart from many others. My only concern was the use of a Christian to take the role of the current Iranian President to bring about the "end of the world" by attacking/destroying either Israel or Iran. Author obviously has some personal religious issues that he uses this novel to display. Unfortunate that once again the media, in this case, this book, are used to disparage religious beliefs. Sure there are zealots on both sides. But to make it the main focus of a book. Personally, I was offended.
 By Way of Deception October 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I will first comment on the book's entertainment value and then on some aspects of the plot bearing on a serious, imminent national-security issue. If revelation of plot details will cause you distress, do not read any further.
I liked Reich's debut novel, `Numbered Account', and since then have enjoyed every one of his books. The present title is easily the most memorable. In its genre I think it far surpasses anything that, say, Ludlum ever did. There are some good unexpected plot twists. I found the characters and dialogue to be for the most part plausible and engaging. Note the impressive array of authors willing to be quoted by name on the dust jacket - unusual for a book of this nature.
I just have one problem. In the book, one of the evil conspiracies (there are several) has to do with provoking Israel to attack Iran in order to destroy its nuclear capabilities. Now it just so happens that, in reality, an actual conspiracy may be underway this very minute to accomplish that very same end - an attack on Iran -- in the not too distant future. The problem is that while Reich makes ingenious use of the very real tensions with Iran in the real world, readers not familiar with the Middle East may come away confused about what is happening between Iran, Israel, and the United States. As a novelist Reich is of course free to a certain extent to distort history or current events in order to entertain us. The problem is that entertainment does not always bring enlightenment, though sometimes does bring its opposite. Notwithstanding that the book is obvious fiction, and not intended as political commentary, many readers may wind up misled concerning the very serious issue of attacking Iran. Right here, right now, any confusion about the reasoning behind such an attack, or who exactly is pushing for it, is not a good thing. Let me explain.
In the book the two major conspirators are the head of CIA operations, Lafever, and the head of the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, Austen. They are operating against each other. Austen is an extreme Christian Zionist, a believer in `end times' whose goal is to cause `Armageddon' to occur, by fixing things so that Israel attacks Iran and Iran then reacts by launching a nuclear attack on Israel, to which the US will respond by destroying the entire Middle East (well, except for Jerusalem). The character of Austen was clearly inspired by the real-life individual William G. "Jerry" Boykin, a retired Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Pentagon, a born-again Christian who has cast the "war on terror" in apocalyptic terms. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_G._Boykin)
How will Israel be induced to attack Iran? By (1) the US covertly providing Iran with the materials for production of enriched uranium required to build nuclear weapons; (2) making sure the Israelis find out; (3) arranging for the destruction of an EL-AL plane as it lands in Zurich, to give Israel the immediate provocation it would need to launch the attack; (4) providing Iran with cruise missiles capable of long-range delivery of their brand-new warheads, to be used to counter-attack Israel; and finally (5) keeping Israel ignorant of the fact that Iran could actually counter-attack.
Apparently unbeknownst to the Pentagon, Lafever and the CIA are aware of the conspiracy. Lafever acts to stop it, but only up to a point. He sends someone to kill the chief conspirators, but plans to allow the Israeli airliner to be shot down, to ensure that the Pentagon looks bad once they are `caught in the act' by the CIA, who will then win their political battle for the President's favor.
So there are two groups of bad guys and they are both agents of the United States. In the plot of `Rules of Deception', although Austen and Lafever are clearly intended to be seen for what they are - evil rogues - at least it cannot be said that America is failing to make its power felt around the world.
Israel on the other hand, as portrayed in the `Rules of Deception', is just caught in the middle, a passive agent, hardly any sort of conspirator, but rather the victim of conspirators. There are several scenes depicting meetings among the major Israeli actors including the prime minister and the head of Mossad, as they discuss how to deal with the discovery that Iran is on the verge of having nuclear weapons. I.e., whether and how to attack Iran. The author's depiction of these discussions clearly intends to be sympathetic, and it is noteworthy that there are no such scenes portraying the counterpart Iranian discussions or the American ones either, for that matter. Ironically, some of the Israeli dialogue is embarrassingly stupid, e.g., with the head of Mossad having to ask his subordinate what `dual-use goods' means (p. 152).
Iran also is portrayed as a victim, in part, insofar as it is manipulated by the American conspirators. However, Reich wants to have it both ways. He has the Israelis present their view that Iran is led by a madman who wishes to destroy Israel: "The president of Iran is a believer in the apocalyptic end times as stated in the Koran. He sees it as his personal mission to hasten the return of the twelfth Imam, known as the Mahdi.... It's written that his return will be preceded by a confrontation between the forces of good and evil that will see a period of prolonged warfare.... First, though, he has to destroy Israel." (p. 153) Ironically, just like Austen the Pentagon conspirator, the president of Iran - Ahmadinejad (unnamed in the book) - is apparently a crazy apocalypticist.
It seems that Reich is strongly sympathetic to this claim, pushed in the real world by Israel and its U.S. supporters, which seeks to justify an attack by the notion that, should Iran ever come to possess nuclear weapons, it would use them to - quoting Ahmadinejad -- "wipe Israel off the map". While much of the background plot in `Rules of Deception' is outlandish, here is one element which intersects with reality. To be sure, if Israel ever does attack Iran, it will not be because it was tricked into doing so by rogue elements within the United States. Rather the opposite. It will be because Israel refuses to tolerate Iranian possession of nuclear weapons, and because it succeeded in pressuring the United States into supporting an attack, via the argument that Iran is not a `rational actor'.
It is indisputable that Israel will not tolerate any Middle Eastern nation having nuclear weapons -- aside from itself of course, for which it is willing to make an exception. But here is one thing that is very much in dispute: are the Iranian leaders really crazy apocalypticists, and did Ahmadinejad really say he wanted to "wipe Israel off the map"? No to both, in my opinion, although I cannot justify it here. On the former, read Scott Ritter's `Target Iran' and decide for yourself. Ritter states: `Iran's threats to Israel today are purely rhetorical. Iran poses no direct threat to Israeli security that warrants any form of preemptive military action, especially when it comes to Iran's nuclear program'. (p. 207) On what Ahmadinejad did or did not say about `wipe Israel off the map', google away and be happy.
It is also indisputable that Israel has been pressuring the United States to attack Iran or else help Israel do so. See Ritter again, chapter one, `A Crisis Made in Israel'.
The sad fact is that, as I am writing this 30 days before the presidential election, an attack against Iran is a real possibility. Israel has been clamoring for it, and the Israeli lobby, in the widest sense of that term, has been actively promoting it within the U.S. government and media. The timing right now may be critical, because with Obama poised to win the election, the Israelis must feel that they will lose the opportunity unless they act soon. It is certain that no such attack can occur without the collusion and foreknowledge of the United States. But is the current Bush regime willing to go along? So far, the answer seems to be No. The grownups in the administration seem to recognize that, given the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran's non-negligible military strength, and the certainty that oil prices would soar unimaginably higher, an attack on Iran would be a monumental folly. And now with the financial-system meltdown underway, it seems impossible to imagine any scenario where the United States accedes to Israel's wishes to attack Iran. Let us pray that this analysis is correct.
Rules of Deception October 5, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Lefties will love this book. The main hero character is a Peace Corps type who represents everything good in the world. Along with a (wouldn't you know) Swiss police official who is also good and of high moral values, try to thwart the villains who are of course nutballs that head the CIA and the evil of all evils, the head of military intelligence. Reich also drags Christian Religion into the mix as of course part of one of the villain's mental make up. If you are like me and tired of liberals portraying America in a bad light then don't bother with this book.
 This is a keeper!! October 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I hadn't read a Christopher Reich novel in a while and this one quickly reminded me as to what an entertaining and accomplished writer he is. The story quickly drags you inside the covers of the book and keeps things churning as Jonathan Ransom is drawn deeper and deeper into a mystery that was not of his making.
Things are seldom what they seem in this story of intrigue and mystery and sorting out the threats and the realities is as challenging to the reader as it is to him.
You will have a difficult time putting this one down. The Rules of Deception is a keeper.
So much wasted potential... September 28, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Jonathan Ransom is devastated when his wife Emma is killed in an accident while they are climbing in the Swiss Alps. He has little time to mourn however, because shortly after her death he receives a mysterious package in the mail which was intended for his wife. Along with Emma's best friend Simone, he attempts to trace the origin and the meaning of the package. In the process he becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy, and in his pursuit of answers he becomes a suspect.
Though this story has a lot of potential, in some ways it is poorly executed. The pacing is inconsistent. The first half of the book contains lengthy chapters that each feature a different set of characters. I found myself confused about who everyone was and what they had to do with anything. At the halfway point of the book. Reich abruptly shifts to Patterson-style chapters of a few pages in length. Also, the plot twists get more outrageous; if not for Reich's fine writing (which is considerably elevated above others in the spy genre) some would have been laughable.
Also, there are some loose ends that never get tied up. For example, the book opens with a butterfly fluttering around what may be a nuclear test site. There are descriptions of shady butterfly-pin-wearing men whose motives are not understood. Even the cover art features a butterfly. After the first couple of pages the author's interest in butterflies apparently becomes extinct, and after finishing the book I still was not clear about what was up with the butterflies.
Usually movie adaptations of books are disappointing, but this book could make a movie that is better than its source material. The characters of Ransom and Simone are likable, and the action scenes which take place across the globe would play well on the big screen. Hopefully whoever does the screen adaptation can fix some of Reich's mistakes.
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