There’s never enough time.

This isn’t merely true; it’s a truism. It’s axiomatic, and it applies just about everywhere in life. There’s never enough time to get all the work done; there’s never enough time to visit family, see friends, play with the kids, or take the dog for enough walks. And there’s certainly never enough time to read every book we want to. So, in order that we don’t waste what time we have on unimportant things, it’s vital that we all choose to make the time for the important things in life.

Which is one reason I’m here:  Booksellers (even those of us without a store) spend the time you don’t have so we can figure out which books you need to make time for. This is one of them.

“Leadership In Turbulent Times”
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Release date: September 18, 2018.

Of all the books I haven’t had the time to read lately (but did anyway), “Leadership” is probably the most useful, the most applicable to my daily life. One of the great scholars of our time, Goodwin has distilled her decades of focused research into the lives and decisions of four of our presidents to provide insights into their decision-making processes, their strengths and weaknesses, and above all into the ways in which their actions changed the world around them.

This book has been a wonderful fund of anecdote, the which alone would have made it both a delight and a compelling read. These brief snapshots of four successive crisis points in our nation’s history also provide us with insights which could prove invaluable in navigating our present course. To finish things off, Goodwin concludes with a blow-by-blow account of leadership moments that demonstrate clearly what is meant by the word “Presidential”.

You need to read this book. That’s a given.

But you also need to buy a copy and send it to your favorite basketball coach. Your Senator. Your boss. I’m sure you can think of someone else, and incidentally I’ve got a guy who will ship direct and offer volume discounts.

Remember: You don’t have the time; you’ll never have the time. You need to make the time. No excuses.