A former FBI hostage negotiator offers a new, field-tested approach to negotiating – effective in …
Engaging Introduction to Negotiation
5 stars
A former FBI hostage negotiator breaks down some key negotiation strategies. Part how-to and part history of the FBI's negotiation techniques, with a lot of real-world stories from the author's career.
Completely fascinating. It's largely geared towards business students (the author has a company that consults and teaches negotiation skills), but the strategies themselves are wonderfully explained and how they evolved over time is super interesting. Great, smooth read and stuff you can actually use.
Michael Vickers has a resume that's tough to believe. From being a commando in the post-Vietnam era, to leading the military aspects of the largest covert action program in US history, to a ring-side seat on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and more, he has had an incredible place on the pointy-end of US history.
The book was written more as a historical text than what I would traditionally call a "memoir": it's more of a recollection of events, sequence, and rationale than Vickers as an individual. While there's some anecdotes thrown in here and there, he has a very straight-laced approach that occasionally borders on tedious. He offers incredible insight into the "what" while offering very little on the "who".
I'm deducting one star just because this really feels like it should have been a series of books, and I'm holding out hope that Vickers will write …
Michael Vickers has a resume that's tough to believe. From being a commando in the post-Vietnam era, to leading the military aspects of the largest covert action program in US history, to a ring-side seat on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and more, he has had an incredible place on the pointy-end of US history.
The book was written more as a historical text than what I would traditionally call a "memoir": it's more of a recollection of events, sequence, and rationale than Vickers as an individual. While there's some anecdotes thrown in here and there, he has a very straight-laced approach that occasionally borders on tedious. He offers incredible insight into the "what" while offering very little on the "who".
I'm deducting one star just because this really feels like it should have been a series of books, and I'm holding out hope that Vickers will write more. He also spends the last few chapters discussing future strategies and wandering into topics that he either abbreviates to the point of being meaningless or that he just doesn't understand very well.
Minor qualms aside: this is a must read for any student of special operations, intelligence, or US military history.
One of Graham Greene's best works. The story is set at the time of the …
Authentic and Beautifully Written
5 stars
Graham Greene served with MI6 during World War II and traveled the world extensively both before and after. His experiences really come across in this novel, where the narrator can zero in about the small details of a locale that make it special, as well as provide some insights into life in war zones that only someone with legitimate been-there-done-that experience would have.
While the plot itself centers around a love triangle between a journalist, a Vietnamese woman, and an American operative, that almost seemed like background noise to me. What made the book special was the first person narration - a voice that was reflecting on life in general, life in Vietnam, war, intrigue and numerous other details with an authenticity that can't be fabricated.
Beautifully written and filled with realities of conflict (internal, interpersonal, and between opposing forces) that continue to resonate.
A classic story of Depression-era New York City filled with flawed characters just trying to get by. Bad luck, poor decisions, and economic realities don't leave many winners in this novel, but you always wish the best for the good ones, even when they're doing something bad. Each phase of the character's life, from youth to adulthood, feels authentic, and when he hurts, the reader hurts too.
It's not perfect, and it's a product of its era, but it's still a classic.
In this culmination of five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, Pulitzer Prize-winning author …
A Look at the Human Side of Presidential Leadership
5 stars
Goodwin picks threads of similarity between all four leaders - origins, slumps, and victories - and uses her intimate knowledge of these figures to draw parallels between their situations. She draws on outside research on leadership traits and highlights those traits in practice through each of these stories.
There is a huge amount of US history here, relatable stories, and guidance on how to navigate leadership challenges. Wonderful work by one of America's foremost historians.
To be unstoppable, you keep going when everyone else is giving up; you thrive under …
A Discussion of the Archetypes of High Performers
4 stars
Grover's first book in the coaching space is not as strong as his sophomore effort, "Winning". In this text, he mostly provides a look at the various archetypes of high performers.
I think this book is most useful as a guide to introspection. Grover divides high performers into three categories and then gives various traits of each. Matching those traits against yourself is helpful for framing your own headspace.
Grover is exceptionally blunt and is pretty frank that some aspects of high performers aren't necessarily helpful or flattering. After multiple decades of working with some of the best athletes ever, he's candid about the ups and downs.
There's not much guidance on how to actually apply this knowledge, but I think it's still a useful exploration of mindset from someone with serious credentials. It might help you better understand yourself or the people you're leading.
Many texts on mindset have a glossy, self-help feel. This is not Tim Grover's approach.
This book covers Grover's experiences, observations, and strategies he collected over multiple decades of coaching some of the world's best athletes. Its lack of refinement is a refreshing departure from the "You can do it!" tone of so much of the mental coaching space.
Grover pulls no punches in describing how the road to high-performance is brutal, demoralizing, and never ending. It's written for folks who have been-there-done-that and find themselves compelled to go back and do it again. If the reader is looking for a gentle "pick me up", this isn't it.
This text has become a go-to recommendation for people that are about to do something really, really hard. An easy recommendation for any high-performer or someone who leads them.
This book follows the life of a German fighter pilot who once risked treason to help a damaged American bomber escape German airspace. It provides a nuanced look into the German warfighter's experience during the Second World War.
Portions of the book are spent on the backstory of the American crew, but the majority is spent with Franz Stigler, the German pilot. The book covers the entire flying career of Stigler and only two chapters are spent on the titular event.
It's a solid retelling from an author that has genuine respect for the subject matter and discusses some seldom covered details about the Luftwaffe. An easy recommendation for any military historian or aviation enthusiast.
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, …
Solid Science Communication, but Not Very Compelling
3 stars
Matthew Walker's discussion on Peter Attia's podcast (The Drive, Episodes 47 - 49) is one of the most interesting things I've ever heard. At six hours long, I was sad when it ended and immediately wanted to listen to it again. If you've any interest in sleep, I highly recommend you check it out immediately.
I picked up this book after hearing that podcast, and the book just isn't on the same level as those interviews. It's an entirely serviceable piece of science communication, but that's about it.
The text is a high level synopsis of key pieces of research and related anecdotes. It's interesting enough, but it just isn't very engaging. Dr. Walker does go through practical recommendations on how to get better sleep, but the focus is really on explaining what sleep is and isn't.
If you don't know much about sleep, and are looking for an overview …
Matthew Walker's discussion on Peter Attia's podcast (The Drive, Episodes 47 - 49) is one of the most interesting things I've ever heard. At six hours long, I was sad when it ended and immediately wanted to listen to it again. If you've any interest in sleep, I highly recommend you check it out immediately.
I picked up this book after hearing that podcast, and the book just isn't on the same level as those interviews. It's an entirely serviceable piece of science communication, but that's about it.
The text is a high level synopsis of key pieces of research and related anecdotes. It's interesting enough, but it just isn't very engaging. Dr. Walker does go through practical recommendations on how to get better sleep, but the focus is really on explaining what sleep is and isn't.
If you don't know much about sleep, and are looking for an overview of the science, this is probably a really good place to start. But I would honestly recommend just listening to the aforementioned podcast and using the book to reference terminology later.
A Truly Excellent History of the Group and the Genre
5 stars
Fernando is both a journalist and a superfan, and his knowledge and enthusiasm are put to great use here. He covers the glory days of Wu-Tang, including their side projects, from their debut album to Wu-Tang Forever.
There's a lot of history in here. Fernando takes the time to explain the social context of the music, so the influences of the artists are really brought into focus. Sometimes the history is so deep the connection to the music isn't immediately apparent, but the walk is always worthwhile.
The music itself is explored in extensive depth. Almost every sample is discussed, including its origin, how it was modified to fit in the track, and often how RZA first found it. The analysis of the lyrics weaves in what was happening in the writer's life at that moment, and virtually every reference is explained.
The book focuses on the glory days of …
Fernando is both a journalist and a superfan, and his knowledge and enthusiasm are put to great use here. He covers the glory days of Wu-Tang, including their side projects, from their debut album to Wu-Tang Forever.
There's a lot of history in here. Fernando takes the time to explain the social context of the music, so the influences of the artists are really brought into focus. Sometimes the history is so deep the connection to the music isn't immediately apparent, but the walk is always worthwhile.
The music itself is explored in extensive depth. Almost every sample is discussed, including its origin, how it was modified to fit in the track, and often how RZA first found it. The analysis of the lyrics weaves in what was happening in the writer's life at that moment, and virtually every reference is explained.
The book focuses on the glory days of the Clan and not much from after 1998 is talked about in any length. Fernando does spend a few pages on the odd saga of 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin', but not enough to really grasp the minutia.
This is a really excellent look at the genesis of hip-hop in general and not just Wu-Tang itself. Absolutely worth the time for anyone interested in the group or the genre.
This mesmerizing exploration of the most subtle, elusive, and effective form of power is a …
Useless and Bizarre
1 star
This is basically a survey of how seduction is portrayed in written form. While the author does cover historical figures, including some who lived recently enough for other media of them to exist, the author exclusively studies what is written about those people.
The whole thing reads like a sex manual written by a virgin. Nothing in here is applicable to anyone who is attempting to navigate the real world. One such gem of advice, "...Heighten the effect by appearing in ceremonial and ritual events that are full of exciting imagery, making you look regal and godlike." Yeah... that'll help when asking for a promotion or swiping right on Tinder.
The book itself is littered with various quotes from other texts, many of which are only tangentially related to what's being discussed. It further drives home the point that Greene is a literature major that reads more than he interacts …
This is basically a survey of how seduction is portrayed in written form. While the author does cover historical figures, including some who lived recently enough for other media of them to exist, the author exclusively studies what is written about those people.
The whole thing reads like a sex manual written by a virgin. Nothing in here is applicable to anyone who is attempting to navigate the real world. One such gem of advice, "...Heighten the effect by appearing in ceremonial and ritual events that are full of exciting imagery, making you look regal and godlike." Yeah... that'll help when asking for a promotion or swiping right on Tinder.
The book itself is littered with various quotes from other texts, many of which are only tangentially related to what's being discussed. It further drives home the point that Greene is a literature major that reads more than he interacts with humans.
I always try to finish books, but this one just wasn't worth it. I suppose it'd be interesting to someone studying literary archetypes, but everyone else should leave the thing on the shelf.
The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed …
An Amateur Effor from Someone Who Should Know Better
2 stars
This book is a mess. I can't tell if Sanger simply doesn't understand technical minutia or if his writing is so sloppy his explanations are useless - probably a bit of both.
The author repeatedly latches on to the most scandalous explanation of certain events, occasionally even acknowledging more mundane explanations are plausible and then proceeding to spend dozens of pages building up the more outlandish story. He extrapolates on scant details and builds complex theories on nothing other than pure speculation.
Further, many of his predictions on the future of cyberwar have simply proven incorrect in places like Ukraine. I can't necessarily fault Sanger for that - pretty much everyone in the information security community made the same forecasts - but nonetheless, they're wrong.
The plot is given more room to breathe, the characters are a little more sophisticated, and larger swaths of the BattleTech universe begin to make an appearance. Still pulp sci-fi, but an improvement over the author's first BattleTech novel.
Classic 80's pulp fiction. There is some great stuff in here - the opening few chapters really stand out - but the rest is so-so at best. The author's military experience shines through and the depiction of service life and political friction therein feels spot on. I feel like the plot had potential, but wasn't given enough room to breathe with the brevity of the text.
Unless you're a BattleTech completionist, you can probably skip it.
The subtitle of the book is a bit misleading: the book focuses on the investigation of the assassination and not so much about the assassination itself. It is expertly researched and draws upon interviews with many of the investigators as well as the publicly-available documentation on the subject.
It is an eye-opening look at a messy piece of American history.