I have an affection for spy novels that grows every time I read one. I'm not sure what appeals to me exactly, but I think it might be a combination of the drama of secrecy and the numerous Cool Gadgets - everything from the dead letter boxes to the sophisticated equipment used to monitor cell phone and email conversations. That's why a book like this one is so appealing to me: it's all about the gadgets! Cataloging a bevy of spy gadgets that cost mostly $30 to build, the book clocks in about $16.50. The catch, of course, is that you're building these things yourself, but that's probably the real point: if you're a cash-strapped evil genius and you're not handy with the soldering iron, you probably have some soul-searching to do.

Via Gadget Lab