Lessons From Ludlum

I've been on a reading Robert Ludlum binge recently, and thought it would be interesting to summarize the tools and techniques of survival mentioned or used in them. It turns out that some of the books I read are not written by Ludlum himself but by others as continuations of series started by Ludlum. I don't know where some of my Ludlum books are (I have books at home, some at my Mom's home, some in my office cubicle, some lent to friends -- you get the picture), so I reread the 3 books (The Prometheus Deception, Ambler Warning, and The Arctic Event) that I found at home to extract these nuggets:

- always be physically fit
- training and practice are important
- know when to call in old favors
- hide in plain sight
- be on the lookout for physical traits that seem at odds w/ stated profession
- do not panic
- always be aware of your surroundings
- be alert to departure from normality
- appearances can be deceiving
- there is opportunity in every mishap
- exploit human nature
- confidence is convincing
- foment dissension and suspicion
- establish authority
- pay attention to detail
- nothing ever goes according to plan-revise and improvise
- we don't see what we don't want to see
- know how to use your team

You don't have to be a spy to make use of some of these ideas!