I have a theory that the most interesting autobiographies are the ones written by second-tier

people.

I'm not using second-tier in a derogatory sense, like second-rate.

I mean it in a sense of hierarchy.

When the people on the top-tier tell their story, it's invariably boring.

They have too much to lose by being honest.

Their public statue works against them on the page, because they know anything they write

that's even vaguely controversial or opinionated.

In other words, anything interesting.

It's going to get dissected and distorted by the media.

But the memoir of the person under the general, or the president, or the CEO, the person

you've never heard of, that person has a lot less to lose.

And their memoirs are where the gold lies.

Not long ago, I picked up a book called Company Man, 30 years of controversy and crisis

in the CIA.

It was by a man named John Rizzo.

I checked the book flap for Rizzo's bio.

He wasn't the director of the CIA, or the deputy director, or even the head of operations,

which is the person who runs all the spies.

No, Rizzo was an attorney in the agency's legal department, eventually rising to acting

General Counsel.

When I saw Rizzo's book, I thought, Bingo, I have to read this.

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