Strange Defeat

Here is a quick list of the last great books I've read which are available in English (some 'Ive read in other languages): - History of Western Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell : This is a wonderful book. Read it. - Why the West rules -- for now, Ian Morris : How geography drives history. really deep and thought-provoking. - the Strange Defeat, Marc Bloch : A gripping, living narration of the French armies collapse in 1940, from the inside (Marc Bloch was an officer). With a very deep analysis of the long maturing reasons for this defeat. - Histories of Alexander the Great, Quintus Curtius Rufus : The title says it all. Very elegant Latin prose. - The Golden Ass, Apuleius : A funny story and an immortal classic. - The Blitzkrieg Legend: The 1940 Campaign in the West, Karl-Heinz Frieser : For true military history geeks :) I notice that these are either classics, or history. Well, so be it :)

The first scene in Tolstoy's War and Peace should be required reading for engineering graduates, particularly the hyper-rational Sheldon types. I'm referring specifically to the impact Pierre has on the people at the party, the importance of manners, why small talk, etc. War and Peace is generally a great book because of how much it captures about human nature and power plays and it is still relevant today. It has a reputation for length but I found it much more readable than, say, Lord of the Rings. Delta Force by Col. Charlie Beckwith. Think your company has red tape? Try the US Army post-Vietnam. It's a great example of someone moving through bureaucracy to achieve great things and taught me to stop making excuses based on organisational behaviour. The Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles is in the same vein with some phenomenal hustling lessons. I still think of both men whenever I think whatever I'm doing is hard.…