by Rupe | Jan 25, 2004 | Not So Recent Reads
Author: Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D.
Date: 25-Jan-2004
Who are the rich in this country? What do they do? How do they invest? How did they get rich? Can you ever become one of them? Get the answers in The Millionaire Next Door, the never-before-told story about wealth in America. You’ll be surprised by what you find out.
My thoughts: Very interesting read. Really see some similarities in my life with this, in terms of frugality and drive. Hopefully there is a millionaire in my future too…smile! – will let you know..
by Rupe | Jan 25, 2004 | Not So Recent Reads
Author: Peter L. Bergen
Date: 25-Jan-2004
On September 11, 2001, the world in which we live was changed forever. The assault on the World Trade Center was the most sophisticated and horrifying in a series of operations masterminded by Osama bin Laden and his Jihad group – an organization that CNN’s terrorism analyst Peter Bergen calls Holy War, Inc. One of only a handful of journalists to have interviewed the world’s most wanted man face to face, Bergen explains the Jihadist network that operates globally and in secrecy.
Immense in scope and unnerving in its findings, Holy War, Inc. reveals:
How bin Laden lives, travels, and communicates with his “cells.”
How the CIA ended up funding – to the tune of three billion dollars – radical, anti-American Afghan groups allied to bin Laden.
How the attacks that foreshadowed the destruction of the World Trade Center – among them the bombings of the American embassies in Africa and the warship USS Cole in Yemen – were planned and executed.
What we can expect from Islamic extremists in the future.
Holy War, Inc. helps us to see bin Laden’s organization as a veritable corporation that has exploited 21st century communications and weapons technologies in the service of a medieval reading of the Koran and holy war. This is essential listening for anyone trying to understand the militant Islamist movements that could determine the fate of governments – and human lives – the world over.
My Thoughts:Pretty insightful read. The author had pretty good inside access to Bin Laden which makes it pretty intresting.
by Rupe | Dec 19, 2003 | Not So Recent Reads
Author: John C. Maxwell
Date: 19-Dec-03
At the heart of John C. Maxwell’s brilliant and inspiring program is a simple premise: To do well in life, we must first think well. But can we actually learn new mental habits? Thinking for a Change answers that with a resounding “yes” – and shows that your thinking can indeed change your life.
Drawing on the words and deeds of many of the world’s greatest leaders, this empowering audiobook helps you access your thinking style, guides you to new ones, and step by step teaches you the secrets of:
– Big Picture Thinking – seeing the world beyond your own needs and how that leads to great ideas
– Focused Thinking – removing mental clutter and distractions to realize your full potential
– Creative Thinking – stepping out of the “box” and making breakthroughs
– Shared Thinking – working with others to compound results
– Reflective Thinking – looking at the past to gain a better understanding of the future
and much more…
My Thoughts:
by Rupe | Dec 12, 2003 | Not So Recent Reads
Author: Jack Valenti
Date: 12-Dec-03
Public speaking is one of the most intimidating and important aspects of many jobs. As a one-time speechwriter for President Johnson, and current president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Jack Valenti has written and delivered speeches in all kinds of settings. Originally published in 1982, Speaking Up with Confidence is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to write and deliver a speech that people will listen to and remember.
My Thoughts:
by Rupe | Nov 22, 2003 | Not So Recent Reads
Author: John Keegan
Date: 22-Nov-03
In fiction, the spy is a glamorous figure whose secrets make or break peace, but, historically, has intelligence really been a vital step to military victories? In this breakthrough study, the preeminent war historian John Keegan goes to the heart of a series of important conflicts to develop a powerful argument about military intelligence. In his characteristically wry and perceptive prose, Keegan offers us nothing short of a new history of war through the prism of intelligence.
Keegan brings to life the split-second decisions that went into waging war before the benefit of aerial surveillance and electronic communications. The English admiral Horatio Nelson was hot on the heels of Napoleon’s fleet in the Mediterranean and never knew it, while Stonewall Jackson was able to compensate for the Confederacy’s disadvantage in firearms and manpower with detailed maps of the Appalachians. In the past century, espionage and decryption have changed the face of battle. Timely information, however, is only the beginning of the surprising and disturbing aspects of decisions that are made in war, where brute force is often more critical.
Intelligence in War is a thought-provoking work that ranks among John Keegan’s finest achievements.
My thoughts: Great read of intelligence professionals.
by Rupe | Nov 22, 2003 | Not So Recent Reads
In an effort to understand the underpinings of the current wave of anti-American/Westernism currently unleashed around the world by so called forces of terrorism, I set out on a study of the history of such muslim faiths as Wahabism, Sufism, etc…
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Author: Robert Baer
Date: 22-Nov-2003
In his powerful new book, Robert Baer, author of See No Evil, turns his attention to Saudi Arabia, revealing how our government’s cynical relationship with our Middle Eastern ally and America’s dependence on Saudi oil make us increasingly vulnerable to economic disaster and put us at risk for further acts of terrorism.
For decades, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been locked in a “harmony of interests.” America counted on the Saudis for cheap oil, political stability in the Middle East, and lucrative business relationships for the United States, while providing a voracious market for the kingdom’s vast oil reserves. With money and oil flowing freely between Washington and Riyadh, the United States has felt secure in its relationship with the Saudis and the ruling Al Sa’ud family. But the rot at the core of our “friendship” with the Saudis was dramatically revealed when it became apparent that fifteen of the nineteen September 11 hijackers proved to be Saudi citizens.
In Sleeping with the Devil, Baer documents with chilling clarity how our addiction to cheap oil and Saudi petrodollars caused us to turn a blind eye to the Al Sa’ud’s culture of bribery, its abysmal human rights record, and its financial support of fundamentalist Islamic groups that have been directly linked to international acts of terror, including those against the United States. Drawing on his experience as a field operative who was on the ground in the Middle East for much of his twenty years with the agency, as well as the large network of sources he has cultivated in the region and in the U.S. intelligence community, Baer vividly portrays our decades-old relationship with the increasingly dysfunctional and corrupt Al Sa’ud family, the fierce anti-Western sentiment that is sweeping the kingdom, and the desperate link between the two.
My thoughts: Very interesting read. The historic context in which the book places the “House of Sa’ud” is quite frightful and very troubling. I would recommend a read of this book as a starting point for anyone interested in the subject.
