Alright folks, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the Eisenhower biography is finally out! Can you feel the relief in my words? Well, let me tell you, this book is a heavyweight champ. It’s so thick that it practically doubles as a leg workout when you try to hold it up!
But what’s inside? Jean Edward Smith, the author, did some serious digging to give us the lowdown on Eisenhower. I mean, this guy really left no stone unturned. One of the things that surprised me was learning about Ike’s early military blunders. At the start of his career, he made some pretty big goof-ups, and they had to assign other generals to clean up the mess. That’s when Ike decided to focus on his strong suit – bringing together a bunch of big-shot countries into a smooth-working team.
Eisenhower had this crazy ability to make friends wherever he went. He was like a social wizard. So, in a way, he was a networking pro before networking was even a thing. That’s how he climbed the career ladder despite not having a fancy background or loads of connections. Of course, being a hard worker and a decent student helped, but it was his knack for making friends in high places that really gave him the boost (shoutout to General Fox Conner!).
Now, the juiciest part of the book is all about Ike’s World War II adventures. That’s where most of the action happens. Then comes his time as President, and Smith did his best to make it interesting. But Ike wasn’t the kind of prez who made headlines with drama. He was more of a behind-the-scenes operator. Still, Smith manages to piece together a pretty solid story, highlighting Ike’s stand against Joseph McCarthy and his efforts to end segregation.
If you’re asking me for a book recommendation, I’d probably steer you towards “Patton: A Genius For War.” But don’t get me wrong, “Eisenhower In War And Peace” isn’t a bad read at all.
Now, let’s switch gears and talk about another biography – this one’s about Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase. I started reading “Last Man Standing,” but after the first 60 pages, I hit pause. You know why? It felt like the book was trying a bit too hard to make Dimon look like a superhero. I mean, they painted him as this guy who excelled without breaking a sweat, thanks to the right connections and a fairy godmother (okay, maybe not a fairy godmother, but you get my point).
My life is nowhere near as polished as Dimon’s biography. It’s more like a Tom Hanks movie, you know, like “Castaway.” Every time I try something new, it’s like a hundred failed attempts before I get it right. And trust me, I haven’t yelled at a volleyball yet, but it’s been close.
I might give “Last Man Standing” another shot later, but I’m not holding my breath for a plot twist on page 61.
One last thing before I wrap this up – remember those martial arts books we used to read as kids, thinking we’d become kung fu masters overnight? Yeah, that magic faded fast. It’s kind of like the Dunning-Kruger effect I talked about last time. You can learn a ton from books, videos, and advice, but some things you’ve got to experience firsthand.
Take marketing, for example. People say, “Just post videos online regularly, it’s easy!” Well, until you’ve done it, you don’t know the half of it. And those blogs they say you should write? Sounds simple, right? Turns out, most folks give up after a few months. The theory says you should pick a niche and stick with it, but reality often has other plans.
So, here’s the bottom line – sometimes, you’ve got to jump into the real world and try stuff out to truly get it. And when you look at those biographies I mentioned – Patton, Eisenhower, Jobs, and Phil Knight – they all stumbled and fumbled on their way to the top. No one’s life is a perfect straight line, so if you ever write your own biography, make sure to keep it real. It’s the stumbles that make the journey worth telling.
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet