Rating: 
Summary: Beware! Nothing Is As it Seems. And I'm Not Being Paranoid!
Review: I've enjoyed all of Joseph Finder's books but Paranoia is unquestionably his best! The plot is very fast-paced, the characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional and the suspense involving corporate spying is non-stop. If this isn't enough to make you want to rush right out to get a copy of this compelling thriller, be aware that Finder provides twists and turns that will keep you intrigued and surprised right up to the very end. Be prepared for a very exciting and fun reading experience. Paranoia will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. It is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in quite awhle. Paranoia deserves to be at the top of the bestseller lists and it should help Joseph Finder become one of the elite group of today's popular writers.
Rating:
Summary: Intense, heart-stopping drama of loyalty and deceit
Review: in the closed-circuit world of industrial espionage.Prepare yourself for an onslaught of breathtaking minutes in this thinking man's novel. I can promise that your emotions will run the gamut from fear to elation, from hatred to sympathy, from anger to uneasy calm...from the first chapter 'til the very last word in the very last chapter. Adam Cassidy does as little as he can to get by...and he gets away with it. That is, until now. He has just managed to give a retiring dock supervisor the bash of his life. No holds barred, no expense spared...only the best for old man Jonesy. Nothing wrong with that, nothing, except that, without their knowledge, he used $87,000 of company money to pull it off.,
He is called into CEO Nick Wyatt's office at Wyatt Telecom...and from this point on, Adam's life as he knew it,is gone forever. He is given a choice, which in reality is no choice at all. He will go to prison for twenty years or he will do the bidding of Nick Wyatt. Industrial espionage at it sleaziest! Greed at it ugliest! He will; as if by magic, find his way: new credentials, new wardrobe, new car and all, walking the halls and occupying an office in the maze that is Tryon...Wyatt's arch-rival. His mission, which he has accepted; to find and deliver to Wyatt all the intel and protocol on "Aurora"...a technology that has been conceived and perfected with a ready-market date by Tryon. A technology that will leave other telecom companies trailing far behind...eating Tryon's dust. That this is truly a mission of impossible dimensions neither Adam nor the reader has any doubts. A taut masterful work for JOSEPH FINDER. Spellbinding in it's adventure; frightening in it's depth. And yet...so down-right entertaining as we meet Adam's very ill father...his father's caretaker Antoine and Jock Goddard, Tryon's CEO, who is in the running for the real father Adam never had; we realize the meaning of human frailty. This is prose at its very finest. Each word carefully selected by by the author to evoke the right emotion at the right time. When I finished reading "PARANOIA" by Joseph Finder I knew it would be a long time before I recovered from the slam-bang, more than surprising ending. Need I say more? It's all waiting for you...
Rating:
Summary: Paranoia-Finder does it again!
Review: Paranoia, written much like a tantalizing Grisham tale...Finder being my favorite author and loving Moscow Club,Extraordinary Powers and always looking forward to all his books! Mr. Finder is so talented I believe he can deliver in any one's style of writing-I could almost bet my life on it! But whatever style...his presentation with regards to Paranoia is put in real form that captures the reader with views and thoughts and even lingo that is so NOW! Corporate world that we have become...the games and manipulations...If you want adventure, intrigue, and being able to feel for the main character by page 16 than this is it!
Rating:
Summary: This is a real page-turner!
Review: Adam Cassidy is a young, underachieving employee of a high-tech company. He has an unusual sense of humor, and one of his practical jokes gets him into big trouble with his bosses. Much to his surprise, he is called in, not to be fired, but to be asked to be an industrial spy at a competing company. Since he is not in a position to refuse, Adam accepts the assigmnet. He is hired by the other company and is soon asked to join the CEO's staff. The company leases a Porsche for him and puts him into a spectacular apartment. He becomes interested in an attractive female employee and begins a delicate balancing act, doing work for his new company while acting as a spy for his old one. He is coming very close to discovering the secrets that he has been sent for when circumstances threaten to expose him as a fraud. This is an imaginative story of coporate greed and double-dealing, with all sorts of twists and turns throughout the book. The screen rights have already been sold and it should make a terrific movie. How about Ben Affleck in the title role?
Rating: 
Summary: (4 1/2) Has the Potential to be a Fabulous Film
Review: This is an incredibly fast moving, well researched, well plotted thriller by an author whose potential has already clearly been recognized, as evidenced by the fact that his novel HIGH CRIMES became a successful film starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. The book is a very fast and engaging read, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I will indicate my reasons for not rounding up my rating to five stars later in this review, after first providing a summary of the plot. Adam Cassidy, a bored twenty-six year old employee of Wyatt Telecom, decides to hack into the company's database in order to get the necessary authorization to throw an executive level retirement party for Jonesie on the loading dock. When discovered and threatened with criminal prosecution and a possible prison term by Arnold Meacham, Corporate Director of Security, Adam's impromptu excuse so impresses both Meacham and CEO Nick Wyatt that they offer him an alternative, become a Wyatt spy by obtaining a position with their chief competitor, Trion Systems. Soon, Adam is driving a Porsche, has a gorgeous girlfriend, a wonderful apartment and is special assistant to Trion CEO Jock Goddard. Adam is surprised by how talented he has become and the insight which he has developed based on the coaching from Wyatt operatives and the inside information which they can feed him. Eventually, however, Adam comes to respect Goddard and his honesty and business acumen and develops complete disdain for Nick Wyatt and his cutthroat and often unethical competitive tactics. In fact, Adam realizes that Goddard has come to view Adam as a replacement for the son who Goddard tragically lost. But when Adam threatens to stop spying on Trion and providing information to Wyatt, he finds that he is sinking further into the quicksand and is forced to engage in extremely risky actions in order to extricate himself. And the sands are continually shifting beneath his feet, as each layer of reality is gradually peeled away to reveal another problem for Adam to confront. And then, BOOM, without providing a spoiler the ending turns everything on its head once again as almost all the loose ends are wrapped up except for the most important one, the future direction of Adam's life and career. Joseph Finder is a tremendously talented author who obviously did a lot of research with regard to the current state of technological innovation, corporate governance and the financing and acquisition policies of high tech firms. Furthermore, he throws in some informative tidbits, such as Goddard's choice of the name "the ship of Theseus" for his "perfectly restored 1949 Buick Roadmaster". Then the applicability of that phrase to the car is suddenly transformed into a discussion of the reference and its symbolism with regard to the possibility of achieving corporate success while retaining personal integrity. Thus, I enjoyed not only the action in the story, but much of the philosophy inherent in it as well. And I kept trying to figure out if any of the characters were modeled on some of the larger than life corporate personalities who inhabit Silicon Valley. So why not five stars? Three reasons, the first two minor but the last meaningful to my enjoyment of the book. First, in some cases, the book reads too much like a movie script; action sequences and risks that seem logical in a movie don't always hold up well to the scrutiny of a careful reader. Second, while the details of the ending were clever and consistent with the story, the conclusion was far from a total surprise by the time the book ended. Third and most importantly, the totally cynical portrait of most businessmen and their method of operation disappointed me somewhat. The White Hats were few and far between in this story; it is about business as all out war with little regard for truth and ethics. So, it is very obvious why Adam needs to be paranoid in the corporate world in which he lives. In elaboration, compare the reasons for Adam's PARANOIA with the thoughts expressed by one of the most successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs of all time, Andy Grove of INTEL, in his masterful book ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE. That book wonderfully outlines Grove's reasons for continual PARANOIA in the battle for corporate survival and dominance, but they relate to the difficulty of recognizing the necessity of taking the huge business risks required in order to meet competitive threats from new technologies that potentially represent transformational paradigms. Thus, Grove is paranoid that he will delay crucial decisions because of risk aversion or lack of insight and let others gain competitive advantage, not that he has to recruit capable corporate spies in order to outflank his competition. I believe that this is the kind of PARANOIA which actually drives the best corporate managements, rather than the kind described in this book. But Joe Finder can write and PARANOIA is still a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ! Disclaimer: While I have not read any of the author's previous books, I have seen the movie HIGH CRIMES and enjoyed it immensely. Thus, I was pleased when I was contacted by the author and furnished an advance review copy of this book based upon my interest in this genre as evidenced by my previous reviews of similar books. I have no relationship and have never met either the author or anyone employed by the publisher, and furnished no guarantee that I would even submit a review. If anything, in order to prove my objectivity I perhaps presented my criticisms in more detail than they deserve. Nevertheless, people in my business have belatedly learned too much disclosure is preferable to not enough, so this disclaimer is offered in that spirit - especially since this book encourages PARANOIA with regard to the real motives of the individuals involved. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: A five star winner!
Review: PARANOIA by Joseph Finder Here's a book that caught me by surprise: PARANOIA by Joseph Finder. I was expecting a typical "corporate thriller" type of book, but I got something better. PARANOIA is a fast paced novel that takes us into the world of corporate espionage, but this book is more than just that.
Adam Cassidy is making a so-so living going nowhere at a high-tech corporation, Wyatt Telecom. He hates his job but makes things a little more exciting by getting involved in scams such as the one that introduces him in chapter one. He finds a way to throw a huge retirement bash for a fellow employee, a loading dock blue-collar worker named Jonesie, and by impersonating an important executive VP Adam gets this party thrown, company paid. He gets a kick out of seeing these guys and their wives having the time of their lives, enjoying a company paid party on a scale that usually only the higher-ups get to partake in, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Adam gets caught. After a nerve-wracking meeting with the head of the company, Nicholas Wyatt, Adam finds himself a victim of blackmail, and in a big way. Wyatt agrees not to turn Adam into the authorities, (so Adam is spared the likelihood of a jail sentence) if Adam helps Wyatt spy on a major competitor. Wyatt sees that Adam has a lot of great qualities that would make him an excellent spy, and because Adam has no other options, he agrees to do what Wyatt says. Adam is about to become a mole. Adam's life is now turned upside down. He no longer "works" for Wyatt Telecom, but is now on his way to becoming an employee of the competition, Trion. He is trained thoroughly by Wyatt's assistants, down to the minutest details, so he can pass as a superstar employee that Trion desperately thinks they need to steal from Wyatt. Trion has no idea that Adam is actually an employee that was on the verge of being fired. It's a miraculous transformation that even Adam could be proud of. And, Adam succeeds and his life is changed forever. But he does so well that he starts to lose himself. And soon his loyalties become confused. He becomes close to the head of Trion, Augustine Goddard, and is treated as if he were Goddard's long lost son. Wyatt, however, is pressuring Adam for more and more details about a secret project soon to be released by Trion, and is so relentless that Adam hardly sleeps at night, and can hardly eat during the day. Soon, Adam wants out, but what he finds out too late is that there IS no way out, at least alive. While the story sounds like a very serious intense thriller, it also has a lot of heart. Adam's relationship with his father is a subplot that helps explain who Adam really is. The adventures Adam (and his old cantankerous father) has with various in-house nurses takes on a comedic turn when a huge ex-con named Antwoine comes into the picture. The scenes between Antwoine and Adam's father are a riot! I read PARANOIA towards the end of 2003, and it made my list of top 30 books read that year. I'm not one that often reads books in this genre, nor touts novels such as this, but I find that PARANOIA is one of the best novels I've read in quite a while. The short chapters make this a fast read, and the plot is constantly moving. The character development was excellent, what I found the best element of this book. You want to know and care about Adam Cassidy and you may find yourself cheering him on. This reviewer highly recommends PARANOIA and I look forward to reading Joseph Finder's other novels.
Rating:
Summary: Fast & Furious Reading
Review: I like business books and this being a novel set around a technology company and corporate espionage, I thought I would give it a try. I was not disappointed. In fact it exceeded my expectations. Adam Cassidy is an entry level 20-something from a disjointed family going through the motions of holding a job. With his only living family member being an aged, bitter father in poor health, Adam really doesn't have a lot going for him. A minor embezzlement for a loading dock retirement party leaves him with the choice of jail or corporate espionage, with a bonus. To be able to perform, he is given a new persona, product information, money and a car. Consider it on-the-job MBA training. So the stakes are high, back to legal problems and jail or complete his espionage assignment in an incredibly difficult environment.
After this brief set-up, Adam is thrown to the wolves at the new company while trying to perform at a high level, endear himself to his bosses, and begin a love life with a beautiful co-worker. If that isn't enough, his boss takes an interest in him that raises conflicts in both parties as to their relationships to their relatives. How do you know when you find a book interesting? Well, when I was reading the office break-in scenes they are so well written that I was actually nervous he
was going to be caught. Much like when you watch a movie. This is a very entertaining book. Great for a weekend read, business trip or vacation read. Read this if you like mysteries or suspense. I was originally attracted to this, as I like reading business "story" books. This book also will appeal to all ages above teenagers. Thanks Joe, I'm a new fan.
Rating:
Summary: Battle of the HighTechTitans: Corporate Cheating Challenge
Review: Gen X'ers Adam Cassidy and his friend Seth are in a laid-back kind of contest to see who can be the biggest slacker, and waste the most time at work. Then Cassidy, in a grandiose gesture of generosity, throws a gala going away party for a guy on the company's loading dock - without Corporate approval but with Corpoate funds. Cassidy gets caught and his bosses at are not amused. As penance, Cassidy is offered either Door #1 - fodder for Federal Fraud and Embezzlement Prosecutors and exile to Marion Federal Penitentiary, or Door #2 - Corporate Spy for Wyatt Telecom inside their biggest competitor, Trion. The characters populating the personnel rolls of Author/Former Intelligence Officer Joe Finder's excellent new novel are sometimes quirky, oft-times scratchers and Corporate Climbers sharing more with the contestants on Donald Trump's TV show "the Apprentice" than with the warm fuzzies of Scott Adam's Dilbert comic strip crew. Cassidy is caught between conscience and dancing along to the tune of his greedy puppeteers back at Wyatt. His "I could see at once this wasn't a Dale Carnegie moment." compares with Dorothy''s "Ah-ha!" moment: "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!" Finder has Cassidy tell his tale in the first person. It's snappy and witty and reaches out and grabs the reader from the get-go through all the sleep-preventing twists and turns. It's a timely ethics morass, in which Wyatt's motto "Of course I'm paranoid. I want everyone who works for me to be paranoid. Success demands paranoia" can be considered. Reviewed by TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer.
Rating:
Summary: Corporate Espionage With A Big Twist
Review: Adam Cassidy is a smart young man, in a job he hates, for a large high tech company. One day he gets the bright idea to hack into the company's computer system to pay for a retirement party for a friend of his who works on the loading docks. It's a great party, but he gets caught. He is given the choice of going to prison or going to work for his boss's competitor and providing him with valuable corporate secrets. Adam chooses to become a spy. The level of interest never wanes. This is a fast-paced, action-filled story. Adam Cassidy is a strong and likable character and carries the story well. With books like this, as I near the end, a conflict occurs. I want to slow down and make the book last awhile longer, but I'm eager to read faster to discover how the story resolves. I wasn't successful at going slow. This book is better than a hot fudge sundae and it's impossible to make it last. Be prepared for an unusual ending. A very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Thrills with a Modern Spin
Review: This book is being hailed as the advent of the contemporary thriller. Although "Paranoia" is in many ways a throwback to good old fashioned suspense, the praise is warranted. The story reads like a mix of Harlan Coben and John Grisham. The writing is lean, the plotting tight, and--despite the fast pace--Finder allows time for the characters to live and breathe. My heart was racing because I cared about these characters. The conflict revolves around Adam Cassidy. He's an under-achiever at Wyatt Telecom, a likeable guy, an occasional risk-taker. He's also a man hiding from his own estranged feelings toward his dying father. Adam's character traits and flaws are put to the test when he finds himself blackmailed into corporate espionage after throwing an unauthorized party on company funds. Within the first few pages, the rollercoaster ride begins. To avoid legal procedures, Adam succumbs to the pressure of his dictatorial boss and agrees to steal hi-tech secrets from Wyatt's rival, Trion Systems. Before he knows it, he is caught in a web of lies and deception. His actions threaten his budding romance with a coworker, his own safety, and his chance of coming to any reconciliation with his feelings toward his father. The short chapters and snappy dialogue of "Paranoia" kept me turning the pages, but it was my concern for Adam and his somewhat self-imposed troubles that kept me hooked. Finder gives time for matters of the heart, while advancing his story on every page. Paranoia is the key that starts the whole scheme, and, ultimately, Adam Cassidy discovers that his paranoia is justified. As the ending drew close, I hoped for the best, yet feared the worst. Instead, Finder pulls out a few surprises that bring his tale to a bittersweet, somehow inevitable, conclusion. This masterpiece mixes components of such classics as "The Firm" and "The Sting" into a modern thriller for the hi-tech generation.
| 
