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I just finished up Joseph Finder's Paranoia. It was a decent, escapist read. The book centers around a young man working for a technical firm who gets in over his head (misappropriation of funds) and basically gets blackmailed into spying on a competitor. Once he gets to the competitor's firm, he finds that he respects the people in the other firm far more than his original firm (even putting aside the blackmail). The open question becomes how he will balance the competiting interests.
This book reminded me a lot of another book I've recently read (Money For Nothing, also about a guy caught in espionage against his wishes). I found that I could relate to a lot of the political machinations in Paranoia -- not because I'm a spy or anything, but because I've worked too many places where people smile at you just before they knife your back. Or your front, depending on how bold they are. If you have worked in any high pressure places (or highly political places), you'll probably recognize the types: the win at any costs boss, the smarmy guy who pretends to be your friend only to set you up, the just-don't-give-a-rat's-anymore sideline workers/slackers.
I also got a kick out of the not-too-subtle characterization of the original firm's CEO, Nick Wyatt. It's very clear that this character was modeled pretty closely after Larry Ellison (huge ego, fascination with all things Japanese -- particularly in his home, even the same joke about God).
The book's a good way to while away a few hours, perfect for a trip of some sort.
Posted by Casper at February 4, 2004 01:47 PM