I strongly believe that reading is a strong form of professional development. You gain perspective from people you may never meet and places you may never see. I can’t really say that I believe those who constantly ready are better than those who do not. I do strongly believe that the emphasis on reading to be a good leader should also be place on effective writing.  In the military we hear a lot about reading regulations, policies, orders. The shift to effective writing can help improve leadership and communication between leaders and subordinates.

I do believe that with the advancement of technology the military should keep up with the times. We are in a generation that desires instant gratification. TED Talks are popular because they are short and to the point. You know what the topic is and the presenters are very good at articulating that in a manner that allows the listener (or the person watching) to know what they’re focus is on.

Cadets can fit professional reading into their busy schedules by dedicating a specific amount of time for that type of reading. My major and research requires me to read endless amounts studies conducted. Fortunately, they have abstracts that give me a glimpse to see if the lengthy study is going to be worth my time and be effective for my own research.  The Army Chief of Staff’s professional reading list has adapted to this in a sense. You have the professional reading list and its broken down in sections with a note about what the book it about. Starting off with an area of interest can help make the task easier. As professionals we need to read what is necessary for our own professional development. We aren’t always going to do what we enjoy, but one must understand the benefits from these tasks.

My most recent book was “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard.  This book goes back in history to review President Garfield’s short term. The most interesting part was seeing how medicine in that time was so different. Due to a stubborn doctor and a very proud president, President Garfield unfortunately dies from infection of a dodge bullet from a gunshot. There are some other key players such as Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone) and a British surgeon Joseph Lister (Listerine is named after him) pioneer of antiseptics.

This book was not a top choice for me, surprisingly after reading this I found myself wanting to learn more about other presidents.