Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn [Paperback]

Os Guinness (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

The inspiring stories of four public figures who displayed strength of character in the face of adversity, enabling them to change the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Os Guinness is senior fellow of the Trinity Forum, a forum for senior executives and political leaders that examines contemporary ideas in the context of faith. He is the author of several books, including The Call and The American Hour, and coeditor of Invitation to the Classics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801058244
• ISBN-13: 978-0801058240
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #453,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

OS GUINNESS (DPhil, Oxford University) was born in China, raised and educated in England, and moved to the United States in 1984. He directs the Trinity Forum and is a former fellow at the East-West Institute in New York. His books include The American Hour, No God But God, and The Dust of Death.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good biographies, June 27, 2000

By 

Geoffrey S. Robinson (Haddon Heights, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn (Paperback)

This is a good starting point for the people studied. I found Wilberforce the most interesting, but that was because he was the least known to me.

The force of character in shaping events is an interesting point of reference for a biography.

I can't help but notice that stubbornness was a common trait.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As this book shows, Lincoln was a great man (get over it!)., December 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn (Paperback)

I'm dismayed to see the severely outdated political agenda of the Allens of North Carolina overshadow their opinions and reviews of Dr. Guinness' excellent book. I really doubt that the Oxford-educated Dr. Guinness should be "ashamed" of himself for his "lack of scholarship" in any area he chooses to write. Nor do I believe he is simply parroting the "Yankee propaganda," (referred to in another Allen "review") which is an entirely laughable concept.

As for the book:
A person's actions stem from their beliefs, which form their character. We have all seen examples -- at the corporate, political, and personal levels -- of those in leadership exhibiting less-than-ideal character, which corrupted their actions. This wonderful book provides a pleasant contrast to some of our contemporary leaders by examining the lives, actions, and beliefs of some truly amazing people; especially and including Abraham Lincoln, a wartime president who took extraordinary strides and went through unbelievable hardships to preserve our country.

I'm currently reading my 4th book by Dr. Guinness, and have come to admire the author as a very strong Christian thinker and writer. As others have noted, he writes in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, and it is not hard to imagine him speaking to you personally as he guides you through his observations and reasoning.

I also recommend "Fit Bodies, Fat Minds" and "Prophetic Untimeliness," as well as "The Call."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Fine Little Study, March 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn (Paperback)

Did the reviewer who found this "dull" read the same book as I did??? This is a very well-crafted, nicely written, penetrating look at some important topics. I greatly enjoyed it.