America's most inspiring politician pays tribute to men and woman who have exhibited composure, wisdom and intellect in the face of tough decisions. John McCain draws from experiences of both extraordinary people and people in extraordinary circumstances, culling lessons about the process and nature of judicious and effective decision-making.Acclaimed authors John McCain and Mark Salter describe the anatomy of great decisions in history by telling the remarkable stories of men and women who have exemplified composure, wisdom, and intellect in the face of life's toughest decisions. They identify six qualities typically represented in the best decisions: Awareness. Timing. Foresight. Confidence. Humility. Inspiration. These qualities are personified by the exceptional individuals in this book, each of whom made a hard call, including:Henry Ford's decision to sacrifice his company's competitive edge by reducing the work day and guaranteeing a minimum wage;Branch Rickey's decision to offer Jackie Robinson a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the face of public opposition;Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf 's decision to return to wartorn Liberia after receiving an economics degree from Harvard;General Fred Weyand's decision to redeploy fifteen of his battalions despite resistance from senior American military commanders in Vietnam.Woven into these stories are John McCain's own views on the process and art of decision-making and examples of the hard calls we face in our lives. "When I assess a decision," McCain writes, "I want to know all I can about the character of the decision maker before I examine the properties of the decision, its outcome or how it was arrived at." Hard Call is a testament to the people whose choices serve as a beacon for us all.
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"This book was a great inspirational read for anyone facing hard decisions in their lives. It got a little bogged down in military decisions, understandable given the author's background, but still managed to be enjoyable. If you can't decide what to do, just read it." — pianogal (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book was a great inspirational read for anyone facing hard decisions in their lives. It got a little bogged down in military decisions, understandable given the author's background, but still managed to be enjoyable. If you can't decide what to do, just read it."
“At his best McCain, who covers a tremendous amount of territory, weaves together personal reflections with historical analysis…marvelous.”
“An insider’s view provides keen insight on the caprices of history and more than a few echoes of current events, most importantly the interplay between personal experience and national destiny. Meticulously crafted, this collection will appeal to those who respect McCain’s reputation as a maverick for whom ‘faith and courage’ ranks among the most important forces in human history.”
“The most important part of the equation is self-awareness, and McCain recalls how his own lack of self-awareness caused him to be captured in Vietnam…McCain and cowriter Salter treat all of those profiled in great detail, providing the historical context for their hard calls.”
" extremely interesting. I recommend it to all. Although it's not about McCain, his underlying values come through. "
" This is a book on making tough decisions. Self help people (Bryan) might like it. I thought the best part was the introduction, which was good. "
" The stories of those who made tough calls were interesting and memorable. "
" Changed my opinion of John McCain. If these are his heroes, he cannot be the madman that I believed him to be. "
" There were some good stories that I hadn't come across before; the reasons for the success of Boeing Aircraft in the last half of the last century was the one that I found most interesting. I would read this again. "
" This book is full of good stories about people who have achieved great things but the narrative style of writing has no oomph, no drama. I found it hard to get through. "
" An interesting read. Nothing terribly compelling, but interesting enough to finish. I was somewhat distracted by the large number of grammatical errors in this book, errors that will surely be corrected in later editions. "
" I'm learning a lot about history and its players. Loving it! "
" Terrific insights into 20+ men and women who have made difficult decisions and have shaped history. "
" I listened to this on a drive from Atlanta back to DC. Eh, it was ok. "
" Some interesting stories, some not so much. The real problem with the book is the writing - very dry. My respect for Senator McCain probably raised the score a bit. "
" Get close to some famous people "
" Not a bad read. The big decisions McCain chose to write about were interesting. The writing was OK. "
John McCain (1936–2018) entered the Naval Academy in 1954 and served in the United States Navy until 1981. He was elected to the US House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982 and to the Senate in 1986. He was the Republican Party’s nominee for president in the 2008 election. He is the author of numerous books, including Faith of My Fathers, Worth Fighting For, Why Courage Matters, Character Is Destiny, Thirteen Soldiers, and The Restless Wave.
Mark Salter is an author who collaborated with John McCain on all seven of their books, including The Restless Wave, Faith of My Fathers, Worth the Fighting For, Why Courage Matters, Character Is Destiny, Hard Call, and Thirteen Soldiers. He served on Senator McCain’s staff for eighteen years.
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