The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists

I received a free electronic ARC of this memoir/biography on January 9, 2020, from Netgalley, authors Tracy Walder/Jessica Anya Blau, and St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read 'The Unexpected Spy' of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. This should be required reading for 14/15-year-old kids of both sexes. Most of the glass-ceiling-breaking women we read about are hard as nails and just as tough as Bruce Willis. Tracy Walder wears bright lipstick and peek-toes killer heels. AND gets the job done. I appreciated the flack she endured over her time in the CIA and especially the FBI experience. Balanced on top of the problems she had in school, it is remarkable that she was able to pull this off. But the Tracy Walder that gets ALL my respect is the teacher at an all-girls school because we can only change that which we understand well enough to get behind. The girls taught by Ms. Walder will approach the world with a full arsenal of knowledge and tools to combat prejudice of all forms, from all sides. The battle will be tougher in peek-toed heels, but she certainly gets the job done, as will her students.

Dear F e d s: Start by going after b l m and antifa instead of what happened on Jan6. Also secure b o r d e r s and stop wrongly accusing caucasians and Christians! Also look up what b l a c k Panthers did at capital. Why is it that those from Jan6 still held and t o r t u r e d!! Shame!!

I usually steer clear of these kinds of books but Tracy's story seemed so inspirational and unique I had to take a look. I was not disappointed! This book is not only beautifully written it but it combines a very unique blend of real world current events that are so vital and important that they literally shaped the world that we live in today. This book is able to take these critical events and add a very personal and relate-able touch to them, it is much more than a documentary on these historical events. While the classified information was removed you can still get a very clear picture of what this woman was doing but more importantlu how these events impacted her personally, not just initially, but over time. You learn so much about the mind of Tracy and how these events truly shaped her as a person. For me I found myself more than a dozen times wondering what I would do if i was in these same situations under these exact same circumstances. There is a realism that is described in the book that can only be achieved not just by someone that actually experienced these events but by someone truly letting the reader enter their mind to see things they way they do, regardless if someone may think they are right or wrong. I truly loved this aspect of the book and found this be something that really made it more unique. The diversity of events and teams Tracy was a part of allows for this book to move at a perfect pace where the author does not dwell on a single topic for too long but it shows very clearly the vast differences in training, education, execution and communication (especially between the CIA and other foreign agencies) that occurred across each unique team or event. Tracy's story is incredible, this woman is a hero and inspiration to all "good" human beings, not just women. Her service to this country and selflessness is something that cannot be understated. Her story I'm sure will inspire others to do the same and frankly in my opinion the world needs more of this. I would highly recommend this book to men and women alike.