A Freedom Worth Fighting For? – On World Class Retail Businesses, Leading Democratic Governments, & The Price of Free Coffee

What makes a retailer world class? Great products and services at an affordable price?! Everything in one place?! FREE COFFEE?! There may be more to this than meets the eye…

Thank You for Your Service: The Fine Line Between Patriots & Parrots

What does the end of the HBO series Band of Brothers have to do with parrots, organizational psychology, and the current cultural zeitgeist? Click the link to find out… (8 minute read – if you’re faster than the average)

Do we have a hedgehog problem?

In the Hedgehog and the Fox (1953), Isaiah Berlin speculates on Leo Tolstoy’s inner turmoil. The famous Russian author self-sabotaged his own happiness (Valiunas, 1989). And Berlin suggests Tolstoy’s insatiable desire to find life’s unifying and absolute truth or principle may have been one of the reasons for his persistent discontent.

How to Read More Books: Maximizing Your Retention with Active Reading

Reading demands time and attention. Using a pen, the index, and the table of contents to devour only the books that most interest you can enhance your reading experience. These strategies help you retain knowledge and spend more time with your favorite books.

Start Each Day Strong: Three Lessons from ‘Make Your Bed’ by William McRaven

“Make Your Bed” by William H. McRaven, 2017, offers three key lessons: cultivate small disciplines, embrace failure for growth, and confront bullies. These lessons emphasize the importance of discipline, resilience, and standing up for oneself.

On Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Ron Chernow’s 2010 book, “Washington: A Life,” delves into the complexities of George Washington’s character. It explores the tension between his ambition and sense of duty, highlighting his dual nature as a stoic warrior with inner insecurities and hypocrisies. Do we truly know and understand our heroes?

On The Fire Next Time: James Baldwin’s Warning to America

In the 1962 book “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin, addresses the divide between people in the 1960s United States and beyond. Baldwin’s writing reflects on the traumas, fears, hypocrisies, and hopes of both majority and minority populations while warning against hate, violence, and oppression.

On Evicted by Matthew Desmond

In “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond, the author explores poverty and homelessness in America. He immerses himself in the lives of the impoverished to understand their struggles. He questions whether eviction exacerbates social issues and challenges readers to consider it as a collective problem.