Call for Professional Reading Lists

[jcustis]

I read from your intro that you are learning to apply Sun Tzu and Liddell Hart to the business world, so you might be interested in Paul Howe's Training and Leadership for the Fight.

Although he writes from the perspective of being a former member of Delta and now a tactical firearms trainer, he beats the drums nicely and I think his tone will resonate well for you.

Also, anything Kilcullen makes for good reads.

But if you don't have much time, I'd recommend reading the past issues of the Small Wars Journal. If you have not dipped a toe into the waters there, the articles tend to make for easy reading just before turning out the bedside table lamp.

[bourbon]

You are an MBA grad student? I suggest The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss, his philosophy is not for everyone but there is at least something in the book for everybody. His time management tips are worthwhile alone.

[Sergeant T]

Man, if I lived in Portland I'd be dropping some serious coin at Powell's.

A few that have stood out to me in the last few years:

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson
Global Brain by Howard Bloom
Terror at Beslan by John Giduck
The Fourth Turning by Strauss & Howe
The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson
Predictably Irrational by Daniel Ariely
The Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner
Denialism by Michael Specter
The Management Myth by Matthew Stewart
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The math in The Black Swan gave me a headache, but you'll probably be right at home with it. If you're looking for some good non-fiction that's a bit off the above topics I'd highly recommend Tim Egan's The Worst Hard Time or The Big Burn. Egan's a great story teller.

[USMC-03]

You are an MBA grad student? I suggest The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss, his philosophy is not for everyone but there is at least something in the book for everybody. His time management tips are worthwhile alone.

Looked up Timothy Ferriss for my Kindle; thanks for the tip. I've been reading a lot of Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis over the past couple of years so it will be interesting to compare.

I read from your intro that you are learning to apply Sun Tzu and Liddell Hart to the business world, so you might be interested in Paul Howe's Training and Leadership for the Fight.

...Also, anything Kilcullen makes for good reads.

I marked Howe's book also, looks interesting. I've had Kilcullen's The Accidental Guerrilla on my long list for a short while, I'll move it up.

I've also been delving into Small Wars Journal articles little by little as I have a bit of free time; almost always learn something.

Man, if I lived in Portland I'd be dropping some serious coin at Powell's.

Powell's; been there, done that…

Going to take a little while to look all those you recommended Sergeant T; I'll get there though, thanks.

I'll throw out a few of my own favorites for everyone's consideration:

Thunder Over the Ochoco by Gale Ontko
Chasing Villa by Maj. Frank Tompkins
The First and the Last by Adolf Galland
The Mystery of Capital by Hernando De Soto

And for a bit of fiction:

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

[davidbfpo]

USMC-03,

I trust this old thread has been found:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=8283

[Bob's World]

A couple days ago I pulled my dusty old copy of John Del Vecchio's "The 13th Valley" off the shelf, am reading it with a very different perspective than when I first read it 20+ years ago.

There is really three layers to this story. There is the war story of small unit tactics vs the NVA in the Central Highlands in 1970. Great stuff. (and what I primarily remember from my first read). Then there is the personal dramas of deployed soldiers and their strained relationships with their significant others, with all of the complicating factors of distance, politics, and the barrier created by the changes a man goes through in that type of combat situation that are as significant as they are impossible to explain. Lastly, he uses the wise company commanders guided debates between the street smart platoon sergeant, the long-suffering, well educated Vietnamese scout, the angry black soldier with ties to the civil rights movement back home, and the studious Chicano RTO and the culturally shocked new guy to weave in a very sophisticated debate about the nature of insurgency, the problems of intervention, etc. It is that third story line that has me re-reading this book today. I highly recommend it to senior policy leaders.

When I read "Street Without Joy" during the Q-Course in '90 I thought "How could we have made all of the huge mistakes we made in Vietnam when we had these tremendous lessons learned from the French experience to guide us?"

As I read "The 13th Valley" I am having a Deja vu experience, thinking "How could we be making all of the huge mistakes we are making in the GWOT when we had these tremendous lessons learned from the U.S. experience in Vietnam to guide us?"

I guess every guy figures he's smarter or better than the last guy and can overcome the inherent problems of such operations; even when the last guy was himself.

(Fond memories of my days as a Deputy DA in Portland. I'd commute 12 miles in from Tualatin on my bike 2-4 days a week over Terwilliger. One wet, snowy day, with those icey winds blowing down the Columbia Gorge like they do, I mentioned in a down moment in court that it had made my bike ride in interesting that morning. The judge looked at me increduously and declared "you're a Jackass Mr. Jones" (meaning she believed such behavior to be suicidal). I took it as a complement. Plus burning all those calories allowed for guilt-free enjoyment of all the tremendous microbrews available there).

[slapout9]

The judge looked at me increduously and declared "you're a Jackass Mr. Jones" (meaning she believed such behavior to be suicidal).

Don't you just hate it when the judge is right. Get a pick up Truck man!

[Ken White]

I guess every guy figures he's smarter or better than the last guy and can overcome the inherent problems of such operations; even when the last guy was himself.

The judge looked at me increduously and declared "you're a Jackass Mr. Jones" (meaning she believed such behavior to be suicidal). I took it as a complement.

Egos will be the ruin of us...

[Steve Blair]

A couple days ago I pulled my dusty old copy of John Del Vecchio's "The 13th Valley" off the shelf, am reading it with a very different perspective than when I first read it 20+ years ago.

There is really three layers to this story. There is the war story of small unit tactics vs the NVA in the Central Highlands in 1970. Great stuff. (and what I primarily remember from my first read). Then there is the personal dramas of deployed soldiers and their strained relationships with their significant others, with all of the complicating factors of distance, politics, and the barrier created by the changes a man goes through in that type of combat situation that are as significant as they are impossible to explain. Lastly, he uses the wise company commanders guided debates between the street smart platoon sergeant, the long-suffering, well educated Vietnamese scout, the angry black soldier with ties to the civil rights movement back home, and the studious Chicano RTO and the culturally shocked new guy to weave in a very sophisticated debate about the nature of insurgency, the problems of intervention, etc. It is that third story line that has me re-reading this book today. I highly recommend it to senior policy leaders.

I highly second any recommendation of "The 13th Valley." Del Vecchio's stuff is ALL multi-layered (including his look at Cambodia "For the Sake of all Living Things").