Book excerpt: For decades veteran journalist Tom Plate, the author of the ‘Giants of Asia’ series, has been engineering headline-making interviews with presidents to prime ministers to mob figures. Some were easy to deal with; others were complicated challenges. In this revealing book — part manual, part memoir — Plate offers a candid and comprehensive view of how to conduct the VIP interview. Is the Banderilla approach wise? What’s a ‘Viagra question’? Is there an interview etiquette? Detailed tips provide an insider’s perspective on what happens when the doors close, the interview pad comes out, and the political conversation begins. An important, revealing and entertaining book – half manual, half memoir and all true.