This week I finished: Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants, by H. W. Brands: The following words go through my mind a lot these days: We learn about Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Douglass, Lincoln, Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK because we want to be like them. Learning about role models helps us learn to live like them. But if we want to learn about who we are, we should learn about people like John C. Calhoun and Benedict Arnold. It's uncomfortable to accept, but the people in the first list are so important because they had to overcome so much resistance, which came from everyone else, which most of us resemble. We…

This week I finished: How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion, by podcast guest Josh Bandoch: This book compiles many essential building blocks of persuasion and influence into one place. Josh B. and I talk about it at length in podcast episode 849. I wish I'd had this book decades ago. It handles myths many people hold about persuasion that hold people back, then builds up the skills and theory to influence and persuade people effectively. I recommend it, and would if I didn't know Josh B. In fact, our shared passion for learning, teaching, and coaching how to lead is a major piece of what connects us. This Is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner: After watching The…

This week I finished: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson: I don't know if or when I'll meet Isabel Wilkerson, but I can't wait. Her book begins and ends with significant talk about sustainability. I think she sees her work on caste, race, and racism as relevant, but I suspect it's far more relevant than she expects. I think we'd enjoy learning from each other. I think she'd see new ways to apply her work and inspiration to make that application. That said, this book approaches caste from a historical approach I consider too limited. That is, the caste system it describes starting in historical times existed long before. I took notes while finishing the book. I'm going to take the prerogative…

I generally don't just repost other people's material and try to put media I finished each week on my Sunday posts, but I saw two short videos I thought you might like that were too short to mention there. I recommend them. The first is from Not Just Bikes by podcast guest Jason Slaughter. I recommend all his videos and I have watched them all. This one summarizes them. It also mentions the work of three other podcast guests: Climate Town Life After Cars / The War on Cars Strong Towns It's fun to be an active part of this community promoting living together without hurting each other. I recommend listening to their episodes with me and watching all their work. But start with the…

This week I finished: Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840-1920, by Akhil Reed Amar: I came across Amar almost a year ago, learning about US Founders and Lincoln. By then I had finished biographies on Lincoln, Jefferson, and others, and was moving on to Madison. Here are the first videos I watched of him. My most important message on Amar and this book: The Constitution, Declaration, people who wrote them and ratified them, and their histories are relevant today to your and my life. In particular, they are relevant to how we as a nation handle pollution and depletion, though the book doesn't cover them. The book and Amar's work show how to apply it to daily life where people interact with each other. Since…