David M. Rubenstein

David M. Rubenstein's "How to Lead" consists of conversations that he has had during the past five years with distinguished "CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers." Rubenstein is a billionaire, the co-executive chairman of a large and successful private equity firm, and a philanthropist who has pledged to give away at least half of his wealth to charitable causes. Among the luminaries featured in this book are Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, James Baker, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jack Nicklaus, and Yo-Yo Ma. Others may not be as well-known to the general public, but their achievements are no less impressive. Rubenstein knows his interviewees personally, and they open up to him in ways that are candid, humorous, and poignant.

One chapter with a glaring omission is the one in which retired Four-Star General and former CIA Director David Petraeus talks about his experiences as an army commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, a scandal erupted that tarnished Petraeus's hitherto stellar reputation. It would have been fascinating had Rubenstein asked Petraeus: How did this episode change you, and what have you done since to restore your good name? Aside from this omission, "How to Lead" is a rich and entertaining portrait of thirty influencers in the realm of politics, the military, arts and entertainment, finance, politics, sports, business, and technology. It is enjoyable and enlightening to hear from men and women who broke down barriers and made an indelible mark in their chosen fields. This work of non-fiction demonstrates that even people from modest backgrounds can go on to do extraordinary things, if they have vision, a solid work ethic, outstanding personal qualities (such as passion, humility, a willingness to listen, and tenacity), plus a bit of good fortune.… (más)

My kind of book, for sure! Not every interview was as spectacular as the next, but overall it left me wishing I could have attended one of these dinners. In the meantime, I have names of a few more books to pile next to my bed.
Six out of 11 puts me just over the edge....

John Adams--David McCullough
Alexander Hamilton--Ron Chernow
Benjamin Franklin--Walter Isaacson
Founding Mothers--Cokie Roberts (not read)
--->Martha Washington
--->Abigail Adams
--->Dolly Madison
--->Harriet Lane
--->Mary Todd Lincoln
--->Julia Grant
Abraham Lincoln--Doris Kearns Goodwin
Charles Lindbergh--A. Scott Berg (not read)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt--Hay Winik (not read)
Dwight D. Eisenhower--Jean Edward Smith (not read)
Martin Luther King, Jr.--Taylor Branch (not read)
Richard M. Nixon--Bob Woodward
Ronald Reagan--H.W. Brands (not read)
On the Supreme Court--Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr.… (más)