Counter-intelligence (what The Secret World Can Teach Us About Problem-solving And Creativity)

Best Books of 2024, The Economist

From the codebreakers and problem solvers, to the engineers, mathematicians and other problem-solvers – what the secret world can teach us about performance and creativity

Best Books of 2024, The Economist

From the codebreakers and problem solvers, to the engineers, mathematicians and other problem-solvers – what the secret world can teach us about performance and creativity

How do you hire smart people who can work together to prevent terrorist attacks and decode encrypted technology?

How do you come up with creative, counterintuitive solutions to solve major global problems?

How do you provide the right environment for these people to thrive and work at their best when under immense pressure?

Written by Robert Hannigan, the former Director of GCHQ, this book explores the role of the counter-intelligence services in history and today’s world – from the codebreakers and problem solvers, to innovation and creativity, secrecy and transparency and the global tech community. It will trace the history of counter-intelligence – from the early days of Bletchley Park, to the ongoing work of GCHQ – while reflecting on some of the unique characteristics of the engineers, mathematicians and other problem-solvers that make up the world’s intelligence community.

An exhaustive and authoritative account of the history of counter-intelligence from Bletchley Park to modern day GCHQ, this brilliant and unique book will appeal to business readers, history readers and fans of smart thinking and big ideas around the world.

''Counter-Intelligence is the best recruitment manual for an intelligence agency I have ever read… a lucid and absorbing account of what makes GCHQ tick.'' TLS

‘A brilliant book.’ Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5

''…gives food for thought for intelligence buffs, history readers, those interested in organisations and in-house cultures, and is highly recommended.'' RUSI

Robert Hannigan is a cybersecurity specialist who served as the Director of the signals intelligence and cryptography agency the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) between 2014 and 2017. He also established the UK''s National Cyber Security Centre. For many years he worked for Prime Minister Tony Blair on the Northern Ireland peace process. He is now Warden of Wadham College, Oxford University.

• A brilliant and utterly accessible exploration of the great thinkers of GCHQ and what we can learn from them
• Invaluable perspective and expertise: Robert Hannigan was Director of GCHQ between 2014 and 2017
• Wonderful mix of espionage and classic problem solving, that explores both historical and contemporary situations faced by those at Bletchley Park

Competition: How Spies Think; Black Box Thinking; Thinking, Fast and Slow. David Omand; Matthew Syed; Daniel Kahneman