Jennifer: I'm compelled to write about the fact that, at the moment, I'm reading (or, more accurately - attempting to read) a non-fiction book. It is slow going. I mean, I'm the woman who polished off almost 1000 pages of Ken Follet's latest in about 72 hours (give or take). I inhale good books - too quickly in many cases. Someone in my non-profit management course recommended that I read The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes and Posner). I have to admit - it's pretty good. I've certainly gained some insights...but I'm not zipping through it. And I'm starting to avoid my night-table because I'm no longer in the mood to read when that's all I've got.
I mean - when I read fiction...good fiction, that is...I can't put it down. I lose sleep by staying up all hours reading, and then I dream about it once I do fall asleep. While non-fiction strikes me as interesting theory, fiction is "real" to me.
My favorite movie of all time is Ever After (with Drew Barrymore). I suppose plenty of people would consider it to be a simple piece of fluff, but for my money, there's more truth in a well-written fairy tale than in some non-fiction business stuff. Maybe that's because I think love drives people more than money or logic.
In a way, that's one of the messages in The Leadership Challenge - not love per se - but the idea that people work harder and do more when they're inspired. Life is just more fun when you care about what you're doing and the people you see every day.
This isn't an official review of The Leadership Challenge because I haven't finished it. It's good - and maybe someday I will finish it - but in the meantime, I'm returning to the world of fiction. I've missed it. I suppose it's enough of a compliment to Kouzes and Posner that I've talked about some of the ideas in the book to friends and I kept plowing through it for a good two weeks. That's saying something in my case. Tonight, however, Morgan le Fay beckons. I'm re-reading The Mists of Avalon, which I haven't read since I was in Jr. High. I'm bound to gain some leadership insights from her and Arthur.
I mean - when I read fiction...good fiction, that is...I can't put it down. I lose sleep by staying up all hours reading, and then I dream about it once I do fall asleep. While non-fiction strikes me as interesting theory, fiction is "real" to me.
My favorite movie of all time is Ever After (with Drew Barrymore). I suppose plenty of people would consider it to be a simple piece of fluff, but for my money, there's more truth in a well-written fairy tale than in some non-fiction business stuff. Maybe that's because I think love drives people more than money or logic.
In a way, that's one of the messages in The Leadership Challenge - not love per se - but the idea that people work harder and do more when they're inspired. Life is just more fun when you care about what you're doing and the people you see every day.
This isn't an official review of The Leadership Challenge because I haven't finished it. It's good - and maybe someday I will finish it - but in the meantime, I'm returning to the world of fiction. I've missed it. I suppose it's enough of a compliment to Kouzes and Posner that I've talked about some of the ideas in the book to friends and I kept plowing through it for a good two weeks. That's saying something in my case. Tonight, however, Morgan le Fay beckons. I'm re-reading The Mists of Avalon, which I haven't read since I was in Jr. High. I'm bound to gain some leadership insights from her and Arthur.
It's okay to skip around--or skip chapters altogether--in nonfiction, as far as I'm concerned. I read The Wealthy Barber a couple of weeks ago, I just passed over a couple of chapters on things that are not relevant to me. I think you can treat a nonfiction book like a box of Godiva chocolates--leave the unappealing stuff toward the end, or just ignore it altogether. (Not that there are unappealing Godiva chocolates.)
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