It's getting to be that time of year again- when Christmas lists are being gathered and considered; when we all take a look at whether or not we want to enter into the fray of 'Black Friday' shopping. And when we take a look at what may be the best gifts for our friends who like to read. This year I was honored enough to get some sneak-peaks at some fantastic books by leading authors. There are few things in life I enjoy more than a good book, and the time to read it. Since I've been back from Iraq, I have made it a sort of 'mission' to read the books on the wars, and to see what others experienced, and, as a secondary mission, to find those that take a bit too much 'literary licence' with what went on. So far, I've got over 75 books in my Iraq stack, plus others, and I'm trying to make my way thru them. For me, NOTHING in the digital world will replace the feeling of holding an actual book in my hands. And that goes quadruple for a book that has been signed by its author and personalized. No Kindle, no Nook, no iPhone/iPad/Android app will ever top that feeling. Well, wait. MAYBE if, someday, someone makes an app to go inside of an e-book where the author can send an audio/video 'signing' to someone who purchases that book. I mean, if I were to open a Kindle verson of Leadership or Athena and have video messages from those authors to me, well, ok. That might be cool. But for now, I'll take the personal messages inside books instead of any digital version. Those e-book readers just, well, they don't feel like books at all to me. Tangible, hefty, print-on-a-page with hard covers are the way I want a book. Can a Nook give me the feeling of a 1920's version of Tom Sawyer that my father read? How am I going to pass a digital version of New Dawn down to my kids and explain how I was there? It.Aint'.The.Same. And I suppose all you phono-phanatics out there exlaim the same for records, too. Ok, I get that. Before I get to the books, let me share one other thing that's telling about real books- when I was in Milwaukee this summer helping to cover the American Legion convention, I was with TSO from This Ain't Hell, and Greyhawk from Mudville Gazette. When things wound down at night, do you think we just headed out to the bars? Uh, well, no. We geeked. We headed to the 2 fantastic used-book dealers downtown, where we found STACKS of fantastic used books. I mean, veritable mazes of books and magazines crammed into every single inch of space into old stores. And these two were like kids in a Toys R Us shopping spree. Greyhawk found some good stuff, too, so I know he was glad. Anyway, on to the books. I'm recommending these for your shopping book list for that soldier or family member looking for new reading material. Plus, these are inexpensive to ship over to soldiers, and you can bet that for every book sent, there are probably a dozen or more readers for them. Books get passed around a lot. I'll never forget walking into my new digs in Baghdad with the Civil Affairs dudes and finding a huge library already established there in the Green Zone. Leadership In Action- Hardcover: 270 pages Publisher: Fortis Publishing (November 1, 2010) ISBN-10: 0984551174 ISBN-13: 978-0984551170 Amazon.com Barnes and Noble As some of you may recall, I worked for RADM Slavonic in Baghdad- he was the first Navy flag officer in PA assigned to Stratcom, and helped stand up Strategic Communications as we know it. His leadership style is definitely Navy; none of the bluster and hard-nosed attitudes for show- just strong, personable, professional leadership that allows professionals to work their best. That said, I'm not going to let that color my review here. RADM Slavonic has brought together some of the most influential, most unique individuals into one leadership book that is a MUST for all aspiring leaders out there. From GEN Petraeus (yes, you read that right- Gen P. contributed to his book) to ADM Zumwalt- he covers it all. This book is very relavant to what is missing in some of the leaders we see today- the ones in this book being some of the exceptions. This should be mandatory reading for every ROTC and Acadamy cadet, as well as those wanting to be political leaders. Ok, ESPECIALLY those types. If you have a budding NCO, El-Tee, or just want insight into what leaders think, this is a must for your gift list. Find out more about RADM Slavonic here- http://www.theadmiralspeaks.com/ The Athena Project Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Atria Books (November 23, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1439192952 ISBN-13: 978-1439192955 Amazon.com Barnes and Noble This is for all the fun-thrill-suspense readers on your list. I was given the rare opportunity to preview Mr. Thor's latest book just before it hits the shelves. I'm a big Clancy fan, and have read a few other notable thrillers, but it's rare to see a new addition to the genre coming to the fore. Mr. Thor delivers on all counts. In this book, he covers a new addition to the fight on global terror- and brother, you won't soon forget it. He combines the intelligence agencies, DoD, Delta, and chix. Wait, what? Chix - in Delta. Get OUT. But yeah- he pulls it together. I've met a few women in my military days that could do it- not from just a physical standpoint, but with the fortitude and 'never quit' attitude, as well as mad skillz. Here, he combines this new set of team skills with a mission that has to be read to be understood- from Denver to Czecheslavakia, the jungles of South America and points in-between, he lays out one gruesome...
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Posted
Nov 21 2010, 06:00 AM
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BLACKFIVE