Book Review: John Quincy Adams, A Public Life, A Private Life

Book Review

John Quincy Adams, A Public Life, A Private Life
By Paul C. Nagel
New York, NY: Random House, 1997. 419pp.
I have always been interested in American Presidents so I picked up a copy of Paul Nagel's book on John Quincy Adams [A Public Life, A Private Life] in which Nagel does an excellent job of navigating through historical events and retelling the story on the life of one of America's early diplomatic leaders.

John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848), served a commendable time in public service. Adams would served under the administrations of Presidents George Washington, his father President John Adams as well as James Madison,  and James Monroe.

The SCORE Takes Care Of Itself

The SCORE Takes Care Of Itself

My Philosophy of Leadership

By Bill Walsh with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh

New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2009. 251pp.

I remember Bill Walsh during his tenure as Coach of the San Francisco 49ers. I did not know much about his leadership style all I know was that while he was Coach of the 49ers they were simply dominant and seemed to always produce great teams year after year. Walsh’s book is divided up into five main sections entitled as follows:

• An environment of Excellence (P.5 – P.32)
• Innovation, Planning, and Common Sense (P.39-68)
• Leadership Concepts, Conceits, and Conclusions (P. 75- 130)
• Leadership Essentials: People, Priorities, and Performance (P. 137 – 178)Looking for Lessons in My Mirror (P. 185 – 233)

With Christ in the School of Prayer

Andrew Murray (1828 - 1917) published over 200 books throughout his lifetime. One classic is With Christ in the School of Prayer. The book is a rather short read in that it is less than two hundrend and forty pages and is divided up into thirty-one chapters. I was unfamiliar with some of Murray's extensive work and was glad to pick up this classic at my local library for only $1.


I enjoyed Murray's exposition on the subject of prayer and fasting as it relates to Matthew 17:19-21. Murray makes the point that "prayer needs fasting for its full and perfect development" [p.98]. I especially liked the author's perspective on prayer and fasting in stating that "Prayer is the one hand in which we grasp the invisible. Fasting is the other hand, in which we let go of the invisible. In nothing is man more closely connected with the world of sense than his need for, and enjoyment of, food. It was the fruit with which man was tempted and fell in Paradise. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. But he triumphed in fasting" [p.100]. The author makes another statement in that "prayer is the reaching out to God for the unseen. Fasting is letting go of everything that can be seen and touched" [p.101]. Murray uses all texts in the New Testament used by Christ to teach the reader about some timeless truths on prayer. I would recommend this book to any student interested in the study on prayer.

Book Review: A Game Plan For Life by John Wooden & Don Yaeger

A Game Plan for Life
The Power of Mentoring
By John Wooden & Don Yeager

New York, NY: Bloomsbury USA, 2009. 191pp.

Legendary College Basketball Coach John Wooden along with author Don Yaeger recently published, A Game Plan for Life, The Power of Mentoring. Wooden now 99 years of age, offers his perspective in the book on the power of mentoring and the effects on leadership. Wooden profiles seven people including his father, Joshua Wooden, his late wife Nellie Wooden, Abraham Lincoln, and Mother Teresa as some of his mentors who have helped shaped his world view on life. In an ironic twist, the book also offers a perspective of seven individuals who have been mentored by Wooden including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.  Wooden's granddauther, Cori Nicholson, also writes that Wooden is a "lifelong learner; ...always looking for new things to discover and new things to teach.  When I was young, I thought he knew everything, but he always made sure we understood that wasn't the case" (p.174).  The foreword for, A Game Plan for Life, is written by John Maxwell who lists John Wooden as one of his mentors. It is also interesting to note that Wooden lists two people whom he has never met as his mentors and indicates it is never too late to learn from others. Wooden believes in "surrounding oneself with people of strong character. They not only give us an opportunity to study and learn from their lives and habits, they also make us better simply by their proximity, a kind of learning by osmosis" (p.20).  Wooden shares his life lessons including "making a resolution after reading another story about Mother Teresa's work that I would strive to do one kind thing each day for someone who could never return the favor" (p.67).  Wooden also cites Abraham Lincoln as a person who "modeled how to move past disappointments without carrying grudges. The famous closing remarks of his second inaugural address still move me, as he urged Americans:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to the see the righ, let us stive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations" (p.80).

Those who have been mentored by Wooden recall his mantras including:

• "Be quick, but don't hurry. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Never mistake activity for achievement. Happiness begins when selfishness ends" (p.123, Bill Walton).
• "I initially remember dismissing the Pyramid handout he (Wooden) provided all his players as being "silly". It looked like nothing more than a collection of words with no recognized order. But the longer I was there, the more sense it made. One of the advantages of getting older is getting wiser, and in time I've grown to appreciate the pyramid and will tell you today that it has been the foundation for my life's work, on and off the court" (p.115, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
• "Winning isn't the way you measure success...the seeds of success were sown on the practice court" (p.133, Andy Hill)
• "Don't complain. Keep your head down. Keep doing the right thing" (p.136, Andy Hill).
• "Nobody is bigger than the team" (p.165, Bob Vigars).
• "Make each day your masterpiece" (p.176, Cori Nicholson).

Wooden is clearly a teacher at heart and passes on some of his leadership gems to the reader including:
7 Rules For Living [Given to him by his father, Joshua Wooden] [p.13]

1. Be True to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Wooden’s Pyramid of Success:
 

Who are some of my mentors and how are they impacting me? Who am I seeking out to learn from?  What can I learn from leaders who have gone before me? Feel free to share your thoughts?

To find out more about John Wooden go to: http://www.woodencourse.com/ or http://www.coachwooden.com/

To purchase A Game Plan for Life click below:

Think Like A Champion by Donald Trump

Think Like A Champion
“An Informal Education In Business and Life”
By Donald J. Trump with Meredith MciverNew York, NY: Vanguard Press. 2009. 198pp. Donald Trump, Author and Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization published his thirteenth book, Think Like A Champion in 2009. The book keeps form with Mr. Trumps value for brevity in that it is concise, only 198 pages, but offers his valuable insight on an informal education on business and life from a seasoned entrepreneur.

Trump places a quote atop each chapter by such individuals as Albert Einstein, Aristotle, Henry Ford, Napoleon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, Socrates, Henry David Thoreau, etc. Some of the author’s suggestions that I found valuable include:

“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success. - Henry Ford” (11).
“…a good way to handle difficult and even tragic times – to find blessing in the midst of adversity” (14).
“Never think of learning as being a burden or studying as being boring. It may require some discipline, but it can be an adventure” (17).
“The more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know” (35).
“As Jack Dempsey said, “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t” (39).
“I view my work as an art form” (43).
“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (51).
“Business is no place for stream of consciousness babbling, no matter how colorful you might think you are being. Whatever you’re doing, keep it short, fast, and direct. (61)
“People appreciate brevity in today’s world” (63).
“Don’t find fault, find a remedy” – Henry Ford” (65).
“We are all businessmen and women, whether you see it that way yet or not. If you like art and can’t make money at it, you eventually realize that everything is a business, even your art…I see my business as an art and so I work at it passionately.” (86).
“Men are born to succeed, not fail. – Henry David Thoreau” (101).
“You can better your best at any time” (121).
“The important thing is not to stop questioning, curiosity has it’s own reason for existing. – Albert Einstein” (131).
“Be sincere, be brief, be seated. – Franklin D. Roosevelt. Know your audience.” (157).
“Build your reputation” (169).
“Diligence is the mother of good luck – Benjamin Franklin” (173).

The author guides the reader through a series of short and concise educational lessons that he has picked up along his business and life journey. Trump is a businessman but also an educator in this work, this book is a good resource for those wanting to advance themselves in business and life. To learn more about Donald Trump’s book go to http://www.trumpthinklikeachampion.com or his organization go to www.trump.com.

Paul Christopher [452]

T. Boone Pickens

Book Review


The First Billion Is the Hardest
Reflections On A Life Of Comebacks And America’s Energy Future
By T. Boone Pickens
New York, NY: Crown Publishing, Random House, 2008. 260pp.

T. Boone Pickens, 81, Billionaire Investor and Principal/Founder of BP Capital Group[1] who is also widely known as The Oracle of Oil[2], published his third book, The First Billion Is The Hardest in 2008. In his book, Pickens offers his reflections on leadership, comebacks, and challenges facing America’s future energy needs. The book is a rather short read and is divided up into thirteen chapters.

The author describes his personal story of small beginnings living in Oklahoma and working as a geologist upon graduating from college. Pickens ventured out and formed his own oil company in 1954 on an initial investment of $2,500, which would eventually turn into company that by 1972 was running profits of nearly $15 million annually on $92 million in revenues (18). By the end of his tenure at the age of 68, Pickens Company had distributed nearly 2 billion dollars to stockholders in dividends and distributions (53). However, he faced a tough challenge as he was forced out as CEO and went through a difficult personal time including being entangled with a nasty divorce. That’s when Pickens formed a new company BP Capital Group and staged a comeback on life at the age of 68.

Pickens offers some practical leadership guidance to all business leaders. In the area of perspective he states, “the direction of success is never straight up. Sometimes in the oil business, you have to drill deep to reach your objective. If that fails, you reach a point where you think all is lost and there is nothing there. Most people, both in business and in life, surrender. As a result, they fall short of their dreams, opportunities, and potential…. just beyond the hard, tough spot we all have found ourselves in, there awaits opportunity to become stronger, more successful…. never, never, never give up. (61).

One section I found challenging was his emphasis on physical fitness. “When you’re young, fitness is a sport. As you grow older, it’s a necessity” (87). The more you push yourself, the better the results (90). At the age of 70, Pickens beat his personal trainer, who at the time was thirty years his junior, on a treadmill running competition. “Fitness is a daily priority”. Pickens was working out 24 days a month at the age of 70! “I am convinced that workouts strengthen not only my body but also my mind” (91).

Pickens’s also give his perspective on leadership throughout. “Always think like an owner” (21). “Only with risk come the greatest rewards” (69). “You win with a team, and I am a good team builder” (113). “Don’t manage, lead” (115). “Concentrate on achieving goals” (116). “Lead but also listen” (125). “A Leader keeps people focused on the future” (125).

In Chapters 7-13 Pickens offers a realistic outlook on America’s energy situation both now and for the future. He states, “The world is running out of cheap oil. It’s finite and a diminishing resource” (127). “Seventy-Five percent of the world’s oil is in the hands of state-owned companies” (132), he sites countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia as the two largest producers. In 2008, Pickens reminds readers that the U.S. is importing almost 75% of its oil at a cost of nearly one trillion annually which Pickens describes as “the greatest transfer of wealth in human history” (139). Pickens suggests America must “declare war on a crisis [energy] that threatens the very security of America by sending close to $1 trillion overseas each year, and pushing our fragile financial condition toward almost certain meltdown” (236). Pickens views America’s energy challenges as the “moral equivalent to war” (239).

To learn more about T. Boone Pickens Energy plans you can go to: http://www.pickensplan.com/.

Paul J. Christopher
[1] www.bpcap.net/pickens.asp [Accessed May 27, 2009]
[2] www.businesspundit.com/pickens-plan-oracle-of-oil/ [Accessed May 27, 2009]

Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman

Book Review

Hot, Flat, and Crowded
“Why We Need A Green Revolution – And How It Can Renew America”
By Thomas L. Friedman
New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 2008. 438pp.
Thomas L. Friedman, author and New York Times Journalist, published his fifth book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded in 2008. The book is divided up into five parts and twenty-one chapters. Friedman’s terms Hot, Flat, and Crowded refer primarily to climate change, economics, and overpopulation. All terms are interconnected throughout.

The first section, titled: ‘Where We Are’, covers two chapters. Friedman cites three trends in the U.S., the first is the post-9/11 political mentality, the second is the “dumb as you wanna be” mood that has overtaken our political elite… “. The third trend is toward what the author calls “nation-building at home”…our country is still exploding with innovators and idealists…” (9).

In section two, entitled ‘How We Got Here’, the author covers six chapters, and discusses the role of politics and oil (petropolitics) and the rise of self-serving regimes (petro-dictators) and the correlation between the price of oil and basic human freedoms.

In section three, covering six chapters, entitled ‘How We Move Forward’, Friedman makes a good case of implementing resourceful energy solutions and they relate to military operations using Iraq as an example. In section four and five, the author provides an analysis to the world’s two largest economies – China and America.

This work contributes to the debate on how best to move forward on national energy policy with an emphasis related to national security and global economics. Although I don't agree with all of Friedman's assessments and suggestions on environmental policies, he does offer a unique perspective on environmental issues.  He is a bit critical of the U.S. government's policies and seems to advocate a very pro-environmental stand without considering all of the unique challenges economically, politically, and socially that may hinder his suggesstions from becoming reality.

To learn more about Thomas Friedman you can go to: http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/.

Paul J. Christopher