The Leadership Code.; Five rules to lead by. Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman. 2010 ISBn 9781422119013.  The three authors know their stuff and for such a small book from Harvard Business press they pack the good stuff in.  I appreciated their focus on execution and how to translate the five rules  right down to the front desk level.  lots of valuable info on www.leadershipcodebook.com  Good clear writing. My eyes would have appreciated a larger font.

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Bin Laden. The man who declared war on America. Yossef Bodansky. 2000. ISBN 0761535810. This is a chilling book. On one hand you have a thoroughly researched series of briefing notes on how the Islamic militants grew their network of reources worldwide from the late 80s through to 2000.  These notes were prepared for the US Govt Antiterrorism desk.  Then you have the sheer blindness of  some of the American  powers that be that had this material, yet still became  dupes of the Islamist extremists in Somalia, Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan.   In practise terrorism exercises the US found that in the 90s their groups such as the FBI, CIA and so on could not work together or share information.

Then you read how supposed US allies ( Saudi Arabia, & Pakistan) manipulate US liberal tendencies to their own ends – on the one hand funding and locating terrorist raining camps and on the other  getting US help, aid and nuclear know how given to them .  The author lays out lots of evidence on how the Pakistan secrets service is still  a major supporter of  Islamic militants and how much of the the worldwide terrorism in the 90s was planned and funded by the Iranians (which they still do) as well  s Syria and Jordan.

When you read the dates of the various meetings, militants announcements and activities you have to wonder what the Clinton administration was doing when they had all this information in front of them   Even more disheartening is the realization that the root anger over what the Crusaders did in the 12th century is still part of the Islamic fundamentalists belief structure. That and the ongoing existence of Isreal are anger spots that will not go away.

The sheer numbers of youth who are being inculcated into retrograde Islamaic fundamentalism that is really  stuck in the 12th century,  is overwhelming. This creates armies of undereducated hard liners who will die for a cause.  This is not an easy book to read  yet it is a must read for an eduacted man and woman.  I had a hard time not to see much of what is being tried as eventually futile efforts since for the militants Islam is the only future for the world.  Unless the masses of citizens in these repressive monotheistic states such as Iran, Syria, Jordan, Sudan, Somalia can somehow come together to remove the top levels that promote this hatred,  little  can be done.

Bin Laden appears to be a very bright  educated individual, who built a network that could well outlive him. (Some say he is already dead, and is a figurehead since 2001) .  Certianly funding, resources,  and an organization of terror is well entrenched.

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Flip The Funnel. How to use existing customers to gain new ones. Joseph Jaffe.2010 ISBN 9780470487853. This is a game changing book for marketing. Jaffe is a prolific writer, blogger and customer care advocate. This thoroughly researched book illustrates the winning metrics that tell us we spend way too much on customer acquisition and way too little on customer retention. Since the social media wave dramatically affects the impact of WOM marketing, he speaks about some very serious stuff. In our efforts to drive new sales, and close new clients, we can lose sight of the tremendous value in getting more work from present clients. Jaffe delves into using social media to help your present customer base become enthusiasts who drive more business through referrals than you ever get through your acquisition campaigns. See lots at www.jaffejuice.com. www.youtube.com/jaffejuicetv , www.facebook.com/jaffejuice, @jaffejuice and www.flipthefunnel.com

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Kara Kush. A novel of Afghanistan. Idries Shah2002 ISBN 1585673218. If you want to read a great war novel that gives real insight into Afghanistans ancient culture, read this book. I almost could not put it down as it really holds your attention and brings you right there.   If you have ever wondered how the Afghans were able to push the Russians out, this book has your answer.   Perfect book for a cruise or a long flight – the 560 pp do not miss a beat.

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Leadership The Barack Obama Way. Make Change Happen.Lessons on team building and creating a winning culture in challenging timesShel Leanne. 2010. ISBN 9780071664028. This is a thoroughly researched book. If you, like me, wondered how Obama seemed to sweep his way to the top so quickly, you will want to read this book. Dr. Leanne has looked at Obama’s history, background and the systems he put in place over the years. What we learn is fascinating.  Obama is likely a singular leader for our time who  truly understands how to release the talents of those around him. If you aspire to lead or have it thrust upon you, this is a very useful book.  A great coast to coast read, it flows very well.  You just may become a fan.

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