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BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY

About Face/the Odyssey of an American Warrior by Colonel David H. Hackworth

Colonel Hackworth is one of the most decorated living U.S. Army soldiers. This outstanding book describes in detail his experiences from a (very) young recruit to his outspoken criticism of the Vietnam War. Although blackballed from the Army establishment, Colonel Hackworth earned the respect of true warriors everywhere. He continues to serve as a model of leadership by example and the idea that soldiers have a right to demand professional competence from their leaders. Check out his website!

The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Dragon Editions), by Miyamoto Musashi

Musashi was a seventeenth century samurai whose success may be judged by the fact that he died of old age. His dissertation on the profession of arms and the way of the sword are critical to understanding modern business philosophy. The work is also important for those seeking to develop a leadership style; knowing that your boss may be thinking "do it my way or I'll chop off your arm" can do wonders for teambuilding.

Chickenhawk, by Robert Mason

This book is one of the reasons that I made it through flight school! In one section, he describes how the overloaded helicopter he was piloting was hovering a few feet over a minefield and needed to climb over a fence to land at a safer spot. The aircraft lacked sufficient power to clear the fence until his copilot suggested that they try a right-pedal turn, thus reducing the power being used by the tailrotor. They survived and I learned enough to squeek through aerodynamics.

Matt Brennan served in the 1/9 Cavalry in Vietnam, both as an enlisted soldier and as an Infantry officer (the grunts I work with in the 34th Infantry Division tell me I have to capitalize the word "Infantry"; as a Cavalryman, I disagree, but what can ya do?). My mentor and diving buddy LTC David Adkins (who served two tours as a Special Forces A-Team commander), knew Matt and strongly recommended his first book. Dave rarely steers me wrong unless Jack Daniel's slushies are involved.

• Brennan's War : Vietnam 1965-1969, describes Mr. Brennan's personal experiences with the "Bravo Blues", the infantry (sorry, Infantry) units assigned to the First Squadron, Ninth U.S. Cavalry Regiment, First Air Cavalry Division. The First of the Ninth served as the eyes and ears (and often the saber) of the Division through some of the most intense combat in history. VERY intense.
• Headhunters; Stories from the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, in Vietnam 1965-1971, contains first-hand accounts from soldiers in the Division. Not for the faint of heart.
• Hunter-Killer Squadron : Aero-Weapons, Aero-Scouts, Aero-Rifles Vietnam 1965-1972, more stories from the 1/9 Cav, this book is particularly interesting because if spends more time with the pilots and aircrew members than the other two.

A Nobel Laureate for his work in physics, Dr. Richard Feynman has always been one of my greatest heroes. His infectious enthusiasm for life and delightful curiosity about why the universe works the way it does are awe inspiring.

• 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' : Adventures of a Curious Character, by Edward Hutchings (Editor), Ralph Leighton. The essential contrast between the serious nature of his work and the humorous view he had of life is brilliantly brought forth. From the atomic bomb to the Challenger disaster, Feynman's insatiable curiosity will make you want to study calculus.
• 'What Do You Care What Other People Think?' : Further Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton. The adventures continue! I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other book. I suppose I'm just not a fan of sequels.

The "Don't Know Much About..." series is one of the most enjoyable ways to learn that I know. Kenneth Davis has a gift for breathing life into subjects that many folks have improperly studied.

• Don't Know Much About History : Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned. I wish that this book would have been available when I was an undergraduate! This outstanding book is an effective antidote to generations of professors who seem to go out of their way to make the study of the past a colorless, dreary experience.
• Don't Know Much About Geography. What's the difference between a sea and an ocean? Who killed the Dead Sea? Where is the Third World? Another enjoyable book, it makes one think about not only where things are, but why events are so dependent upon location.
• Don't Know Much About the Civil War. Disappointing. Granted, it's hard to find anything funny about the subject, but I was annoyed by this book. Although factual, he seems to be going out of his way the be politically correct and the end result is dangerously unbalanced to the left. You should know better Ken.

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