William DugganBesprekingen

I am just getting into this book. There are a few claims that I am probably not in agreement with. Maybe I will see things differently when I am finished

I don't see things differently.I think his premise is valid as to the value of strategic intuition, just not to the exclusion of everything else

This book is insightful and concise. It compliments several others that make up a new genre of cross-disciplinary explorations about psychology and economic impact. I appreciated how Duggan conveys a distinctive type of intuition, one that comes from connecting other epiphanies into a new, unrelated result - and that he did it so concisely that it can be read in a two-hour flight. It takes a special insight to connect Napoleon, Buddha, and Bill Gates. That's the whole point.

Fascinating essay about von Clausewitz's idea of coup d'oeile (coo-DOY)--"sudden insight that shows you what course of action to take." A variety of things go into a person being able to have this insight, including a knowledge of history and past experiences as well as an openness to being flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Pretty much the opposite of needing to have everything planned in advance.

Duggan provides snapshots of historical and modern people who exhibited coup d'oeile--Napoleon (of course), General Patton (WW II), Alice Paul (suffrage), Ella Baker (civil rights), Mohammed Yunus (Grameen Bank), and many more.

Lots of lessons for everyday people, not just for those like generals who obviously need to know about strategy.

A saga of six generations of an imaginary African people, this extraordinary first novel creates a myth at the margins of history. The BaNare, living on the fringes of the Kalahari Desert, must contend with the vagaries of nature and with the cultural challenges posed by Zulus, Boers, and the British in South Africa. The central figure is Mojamaje, Eater of Rocks, a hero to his people, first among equals in a cast of remarkable and colorfully named characters. In his life and exploits Mojamaje represents the resolution and resilience necessary to endure when all tradition is called into question. The tradition not in question in The Great Thirst is that of good storytelling, a tradition Duggan sustains with humor, human insight, and not a little magic.