Editor’s comment: When this book was among Gates’ recommendations, I jumped at it. I’ve never put together anything coherent about the jihadist movement until some things connected through this book. The good news for casual historians like me, Warrick won the Pulitzer Prize for this with facts but it reads for me like a novel, albeit a very dark one. It takes a chapter or two to connect names using four or five words and a hyphen or two, but I felt I learned a lot by turning its pages.
I’m a curious guy so I try to listen carefully for thoughts from others that might guide my actions. I’ve always preferred learning from someone else’s pain rather than my own. Here are some good ones.
Editors comment: I used to think speed was essential to managing. Now I know thoughtfulness - mindfulness - makes better management. Enjoy.
Editor’s comment: This might be the first book I’ve ever repeated as book of the month but we’re closing in on its 20th anniversary and I probably recommended it 8+ years ago on this site. Godin’s books are all fun and easy to read, the most important to me other than this one were “Tribes” and “Purple Cow”. All Godin books are short, entertaining reads with important points for marketers. I promote Permission Marketing, his first I think, at every Vistage presentation I make however (even though it’s dated) because I built a business with this single Godin thought in mind: “Mass media is dead; long live niche media”.
Editor’s comment: On my daughter’s Christmas mix this year, she wrote these words to me about this song: This song became a favorite of mine in my late teens. I remember listening to it once with you and you blasted it! I had no idea it was one of your favorites. I think of you now whenever I hear it. It’s something that you always worked hard to instill in us.
Editor’s Comment: I was not aware of Mr. Ferriss’ first two books, “4-Hour Workweek” and “Tools of Titans” but I will probably go back and take a look. In this book, Ferriss came up with 11 common questions to ask of 140 people who are widely admired and from various callings. I don’t love all the questions nor do I admire all the mentors he interviews, Ferriss says he expects the reader to “like 70, love 35 and have your life changed perhaps by 17…and amusingly, the 70 you dislike will be precisely the 70 someone else needs”. But I had a blast picking and choosing and I learned a ton by doing so. It’s kind of like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get but often your choice is delicious. Enjoy.
