Davis

Incredible!

Revisado: 06-09-22

Andy Serkis did an incredible job narrating and doing the voices throughout this book. As a long time fan of LOTR, books, audio books, and movies, this was a welcome and wonderful addition.

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The Power of Habit

Revisado: 12-31-17

This was a great book that discusses habits, how we form them, and how we can overcome those that we dislike or simply want to change.

If you’re like me, it’s easy to get into routine and later wonder why you’re doing the meaningless humdrum events that you keep doing, especially when they feel like a waste of time and/or don’t really make sense. If you’re not like me, then obviously you’re better at avoiding unnecessary routine (kudos!).

This book dives into explanations and case studies depicting how each of the parts of a habit work. The book was an easy listen, and was easy to pay attention to in regards to his train of thought and the points he was making.

The narration was well done. I’m actually surprised at how emotional Chamberlain grew while reading. It added a nice effect.

I would recommend this to anyone looking to change their routines and habit, or at least understand how we build habits and fall prey to what we subconsciously do.

If that’s not enough, this book was good to the point where I will certainly follow up with “Smarter, Faster, Better” (Duhigg’s second book).

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Excellent Memoir from an Intelligence Professional

Revisado: 12-16-17

This is a book on the challenge of intelligence, ultimately. And Michael Hayden is one of the best people to discuss the subject. Hayden discusses the true difficulties that lie within U.S. intelligence and dives into the details on decision making that he faced throughout several challenging years in the U.S.

If you have any interest in intelligence from a U.S. professional's perspective, this is a great book to start with. I am biased toward Hayden's opinions, so this review is certainly skewed in favor of his work.

On a separate note, Hayden reads his own audiobook and the result is, perhaps, the best audiobook I've listened to. You hear him laugh, you hear the irony in his voice, the sarcasm, the frustration, the elation. Hayden clearly follows up with a passionate delivery of a subject he's passionate about, and it makes listening all the more enjoyable.

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An important lesson...

Revisado: 10-15-17

High stars because of how everything was presented, the ease of listening, etc. the narrator was great at displaying emotion and really getting into the heat of the moment.

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Beneficial Overview

Revisado: 10-08-17

This was a great listen regarding the understanding and introduction to Red Teaming. For those involved in any sort of “devil’s advocate” role, this provides the listener/reader with a baseline understanding of how to approach the role, potential fallacies involved in exercising the role, and guidelines for building upon the role.

This isn’t a how-to book in the technical/manual sense, so if you’re looking for a solve-all problem to your own Red Team approach, I wouldn’t rely solely on this, however, it provides (as stated) a good baseline upon which to build.

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Builds Momentum and Finishes Strong

Revisado: 09-30-17

This book seemed to start off a little bit slow. At first it sounded like he was just going to talk about how you should focus more so you can get more work done. I actually almost returned it because I didn't think I was going to get much out of this book.

I'm glad I kept listening.

Newport dives into practices that help build one's ability to do Deep Work, and talks about different methods of Deep Work that are applicable depending on your line of work. I know my own occupation disallows me from truly Deep Work as I might like it, but he provides strategies for, as the title implies, "Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World."

I won't dive deep with this review, but if you're looking for a book that will help guide you through your self-development toward a more focused life - personally and professionally - this is a great reference. It's not a long listen, which I think makes it somewhat easier to digest. And the book continually builds up momentum, in my opinion. As such, I found the last 2-3 chapters to be the best in the book, and I will likely return to those the most in the future.

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Excellent Resource on Organizational Health

Revisado: 07-29-17

If you could sum up The Advantage in three words, what would they be?

Direct, concise, relevant.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Advantage?

His ability to target leaders and place the onus on them. He repeatedly references the influence a leader has in influencing organizational health, which I know can be easy to forget when it's not deliberately practiced while building your own leadership foundation and skills.

What about Patrick Lencioni’s performance did you like?

He wrote the book, he read it, and he gets his point across in a way that almost sounds conversational. It's very easy to listen to this book. I love this, especially after listening to several audiobooks where the narrator droned on (and to think - some of those audiobooks' narrators are lauded for their delivery).

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No specific part of the book moved me. It's a quick listen/read, so I have to default to saying that the book as a whole moved me and started to cause me to think more proactively about the way I lead. I appreciate this conciseness, and I think this will be a book I listen to multiple times for the sake of refreshing my memory.

Any additional comments?

We easily forget the basics. This book helps draw us into some of those and gives guidance for how to build off of them. Lencioni manages to keep this book concise by referencing skills or methods for enhancing organizational health and leaving the reader/listener to do their homework and learn about them for themselves (that is, he references the fact that he is not an all-encompassing expert and that this book is not meant to answer every question). If you want a book that has everything in one place - this is not that book. But if you want a book that helps you build up momentum towards enhancing your leadership, this is a great place to start.

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Incredible Resource for Leaders

Revisado: 07-04-17

This is an incredible book to read/listen to if you're looking at building an effective team, developing your leadership style, trying to work with a difficult leader, etc.

Liz Wiseman (author) reads the book herself and I think that only increases the delivery of the content.

I can't profess to be the type who reads 100 books a year; I probably manage 25-35, but this book has been the best book I've read in this past year.

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Great look at an incredible unit!

Revisado: 06-27-17

Great retelling of some of the history of the 160th SOAR. If you find yourself interested in special operations, this is a great book to listen to/read. The way the 160th approaches their mission is incredible, admirable, and worth emulating.

My only issue with this audiobook was the narrator's approach to some of the dialogue. A few times he used the kind of voice you'd expect from a whining teenager, not a special operations Soldier. Otherwise his narration was pretty good.

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A Great Look at a Great Leader!

Revisado: 06-21-17

What made the experience of listening to My Share of the Task the most enjoyable?

General (retired) McChrystal has a unique and incredible story to tell. As a major player in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, his memoir is a relevant study in recent U.S. conflict. As one with great interest in the topic of warfare, particularly recent warfare, this memoir is an excellent resource.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Share of the Task?

While McChrystal does not narrate the book, he does narrate the conclusion. Hearing him talk about leadership and give guidance to the reader is something worth listening to at least once, if not several times over. Further, hearing his challenges as a leader provide great insight into how he led Soldiers and how he overcame many, many challenges.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Collins – was your favorite?

This question isn't really relevant for this title.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

McChrystal's closing words. He comments, "If I had to do it over again, I'd do some things in my career differently, but not many. I believed in people, and I still believe in them. I trusted and I still trust. I cared and I still care. I wouldn't have had it any other way.... To the young leaders of today and tomorrow, it's a great life. Thank you."

Any additional comments?

If you are interested in learning about the military and recent conflicts, leadership, or you are looking for a worthwhile autobiography to read - this is an excellent choice.

And if you found yourself buying into media hype or watching Netflix's "War Machine," I'd recommend you give this book a listen/read before you make a final conclusion.

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