Customer Reviews

The Anatomy Of Fire - Sparking A New Spirit Of Enterprise -- Leadership In The 21st Century

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Tom Brown's "Anatomy of Fire" is a provocative resource for anyone looking for ways to understand or discuss leadership, as applicable to classrooms (where I use the book) as it is for boardrooms. Though any book should be read as a whole to understand the author's full intent, Brown has managed to create a series of readable chaplets that can stand alone, allowing for focused discussion and emphasis. His ideas about civic, organizational, and political leadership, and particularly his discussion of placeholders versus true leaders, are sure to excite readers generally and students specifically in ways not commonly found in most leadership books or texts. Equally important is the passion that Brown exudes for his topic. This is not a cold, distant, academic treatise. It is a statement of belief from a true entrepreneur and leader in his own right. Brown writes from his heart, encouraging the reader to agree or disagree, challenge or apply, use or discard, but never ignore. I am one of a number of educators who have used the book in classes and have seen the ways that students respond. Brown's positions on leadership are not the standard positions students have come to expect, and they appreciate that fact. The book helps them develop their own ideas and insights, often by challenging conventional wisdom, and thereby helps them learn. I know the book well, I have seen it work, and I recommend it highly, particularly for teachers trying to help their students understand the complicated nature of genuine leadership.