Burn After Reading centres on Osbourne Cox , who has a bit of a rough patch. Recently fired from the CIA, he decides to write his memoirs, naturally documenting government secrets along the way. His wife decides to steal the material to use in the upcoming divorce proceedings, but the CD mistakenly ends up in the hands of two doltish gym employees, Chad and Linda . In response to Linda and Chad conspiring to sell the material to help pay for Linda’s plastic surgery, the CIA dispatches Harry to sort it all out - whatever the cost.