Playing to the edge

For General Michael Hayden, playing to the edge is playing so close to the line that you get chalk dust in your cleats. Otherwise, by holding back, you may protect yourself, but you'll be less successful in reaching your goals. This was Hayden's guiding principle when he ran the National Security Agency, and it remained so when he ran the CIA. This book is an insider's look told from the perspective of the people who faced awesome responsibilities head-on, in the moment, which is to say in the wake of 9/11, a major war, and sweeping technological change.