Jack Reacher's Rules

“It’s all about free will. It’s all about making choices. You can tell me now, or you can tell me after I break your legs.”

The hardest part of any adversarial conversation is the beginning. An early answer is a good sign. Answering becomes a habit.

Ask once, ask twice if you must, but don’t ask three times.

First chat about shared interests to build up trust; then it’s harder for them to start lying.

“Be skeptical but not too skeptical. Too much skepticism leads to paranoia and paralysis.”

If the night shift won’t help you, maybe the day shift will. (Night workers are always tougher—less contact with the public.)

Ask a librarian—they’re nice people, they’ll tell you things if you ask them.

“Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

Benjamin Franklin

Resort to threatening physical violence only as a last resort.

“Either you walk out of here by yourself, or you’ll be carried out in a bucket.”