Gatekeeper: Memoirs of a CIA Polygraph Examiner | 
 enlarge | Author: John F. Sullivan
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 53571
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 292
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1
ISBN: 1597970468
Dewey Decimal Number: 920
EAN: 9781597970464
ASIN: 1597970468
Publication Date: May 30, 2008
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Product Description
John F. Sullivan was a polygraph examiner with the CIA for thirty-one years, during which time he conducted more tests than anyone in the history of the CIA's program. The lie detectors act as the Agency's gatekeepers, preventing foreign agents, unsuitable applicants, and employees guilty of misconduct from penetrating or harming the Agency. Here Sullivan describes his methods, emphasizing the importance of psychology and the examiners' skills in a successful polygraph program. Sullivan acknowledges that using the polygraph effectively is an art as much as a science, yet he convincingly argues that it remains a highly reliable screening device, more successful and less costly than the other primary method, background investigation. In the thousands of tests that Sullivan conducted, he discovered double agents, applicants with criminal backgrounds, and employee misconduct, including compromising affairs and the mishandling of classified information.
But Gatekeeper is more than Sullivan's memoirs. It is also a window to the often acrimonious and sometimes alarming internal politics of the CIA: the turf wars over resources, personnel, and mandate; the slow implementation of quality control; the aversion to risk-taking; and the overzealous pursuit of disqualifying information. In an age when the intelligence community's conduct is rightly being questioned, Sullivan contributes a fascinating personal account of one of the Agency's many important tasks.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Voodoo April 20, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book is well written and well describes the chaos in the US intelligence community. The hilarity of the CIA's affirmative action/diversity is worth the price of the book.
(of course anyone who volunteers
to take a poly test should first consult a lawyer----or a neurologist.)
 I was pleasantly surprised. August 12, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
To say that I'm a skeptic of the accuracy of polygraph would be a gross understatement. I've read the research on polygraph or "lie detector" accuracy for about 30 years. My conclusion is in agreement with David Lykken's (1998) outstanding critical review of this literature in, "A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and abuses of the lie detector," as well as the conclusion of a thorough investigation by the National Academy of Sciences. Lykken, the Academy, and I agree that there is no credibile evidence for polygraph accuracy that stands up to scientific scutiny .
There is, of course, substantional anecedotal evidence, supplied by those who make their living administering the exam, and which these folks almost univerally claim counts as evidence for polygraph accuracy. It is evidence, of a sort, but very weak, in fact, essentially worthless evidence. It simply ain't science.
What a skilled polygrapher can sometimes do is use the machine as a prop, an aid to help elicit a confession. Mr. Sullivan's is the first book I've read by a polygrapher that acknowledges this latter point, at least implicitly. He also directly confronts some of the enormous damage that reliance on polygraph has caused - e.g., the Alrich Ames debacle. Ames was the CIA agent who sold millions of dollars of information to the Sovets, causing many moles (Soviet agents who were working for us) to lose their lives. Ames was ignored as a source of the leaks for about six years because he passed a series of polygraph exams.
Sullivan also provides fascinating insights into the CIA and FBA cultures vis a vis the polygraph, including the impact of the Ames case.
Although clearly pro-polygraph, Mr. Sullivan is not blindly so. His candor is often impressive. Unlike other books written by polygraphers, he appears to be less concerned with preaching pro-polygraph propaganda and more concerned with presenting a professional and balanced treatment. For me, his approach adds much to his credibility. The book is well written and I have no hesitation recommending it - although I recommend reading Lykken's brilliant book first.
Author John Sullivan was a polygraph examiner for over thirty years July 7, 2007
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Author John Sullivan was a polygraph examiner for over thirty years, conducting more such tests than anyone in the history of the CIA's program. What makes his story exceptional is his explanations of how lie detectors are used to identify unsuitable applicants, possible foreign agents, and others guilty of misconduct from harming the Agency. His methods, the psychology behind polygraph testing and results, and the tests which enabled Sullivan to uncover double agents, applicants with criminal backgrounds, and more makes for exciting case histories and also offers military libraries insights into the CIA's internal workings and quality control measures. An intriguing, unusual survey which moves beyond 'memoir' status to examine the foundations of CIA quality and strengths.
Credible discussion of utility of the polygraph May 4, 2007
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
John Sullivan presents an insider's view of the utility of the polygraph and the applications where it is valid and where it is not. This is an art and not a science and false positives are common in the hands of intimidating operators. The writing style is a bit stiff and too detailed about CIA polygraphers and security officials but the overall work is a contribution to the literature of a topic that is often misunderstood.
This is good background for people seeking employment where a full polygraph is required.
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