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What 3 Books Would a CIA Officer Take to Prison?

15 Sept 2026 · 1 min

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In a candid, conversational exchange, Speaker A poses a hypothetical scenario: if a CIA officer were captured and imprisoned in a hostile foreign country, which three books would they choose to bring. Speaker B responds with three specific titles—Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and the Bible—explaining that each would keep the mind engaged, lift spirits, and avoid revealing any espionage affiliation. The answer emphasizes mental resilience and emotional comfort as the primary reasons for the selections.

Chapters

So if you're undercover somewhere in a hostile territory and you get caught in jail in a foreign country, what are the 3 books that you wish you had with you? Oof.
Gosh, that's a, that's a powerful question. That's not where I thought that question was going either. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I think I would also take Treasure Island. I would, I think I would take the Bible. Yeah, I think those are the 3 books that I would take. None of them are going to show that I'm a spy. All of them are going to keep me mentally engaged. They're going to keep me from feeling too bad about myself. There's no way you can read Frankenstein and feel bad about your fucking life when you read Frankenstein.