Review: The Extreme Searcher’s Internet Handbook–Guide for the Serious Searcher

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Ran Hock

6 Stars–The ONE Essential Reference

March 13, 2011

I've known Ran Hock for close to twenty years, and now that Mary Ellen Bates (MEB) and Reva Basch are retired (see their last books below), Ran is more or less the last man standing in the independent information brokerage domain, at least that I know. Arno Reuser, the genius librarian and top Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) pioneer in Europe still tells me that just listening to Ran Hock once a year (he was always the pre-conference to my conference) made him appear to be the most intellegent searcher in his organization for another year…Arno was being modest, he is his own pioneer, but the point is important. Ran Hock remains the one person I would consider essential for training a cadre to make proper use of the Internet.

Use the Inside the Book section to study for yourself what is in the book. The price cannot be beat–this book is easily worth $75 in today's economy, but I am truly gratified that the publisher is not greedy and that is one of the factors that takes this book to 6 Stars and beyond.

Ran also offers an online Open Source Intelligence directory that remains the single most popular link from Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog.

And in Commercial Intelligence:
Measuring the Effectiveness of Competitive Intelligence: Assessing & Communicating CI's Value to Your Organization
Keeping Abreast of Science and Technology: Technical Intelligence for Business
Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition
Competitive Intelligence Advantage: How to Minimize Risk, Avoid Surprises, and Grow Your Business in a Changing World (Wiley)
The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to see through & stay ahead of business disruptions, distortions, rumors & smoke screens