What are you reading now...?

[MtnGoat]

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan

by Doug Stanton

GREAT BOOK!!! Buy it for some SF or Soldier or Christmas. Great Stocking stuffer.

This absolutely riveting account of what the US did with a few bands of SF soldiers. Stanton is a great military witter, he covers the fighting alongside the Northern Alliance, the troops of both sides, the horseback riding and battles, achieved several important victories against the Taliban. It shows how a SF CAN work in Small 6 to 8 man ODAs. How when we work and live closer with the people we can working to get the insurgents out from a area or military section is can be done locally. It funny to sit back and read about people you have meet in country and read of their stories too.

Great Reading!!

[Abu-Shakra]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

Stones into Schools

by Greg Mortenson

Done in a first-person narrative, it picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003. He covers his vision to promote peace through education and literacy, as well as touching on military matters, Islam.

So far I find it great reading, just as Admiral Mullen has stated and if the book is correct, now Officers are reading Three Cups of Tea in many Military institutions. I think this is a great book for Officers to pick up and read if deploying. Mr. Mortenson covers his unique ways he built relationships with militia commanders, Islamic clerics, Locals, and tribal leaders. The basic thing that some officers just don't get.

One thing that I find very interesting is the way he points out the people he hires to work in is CAI organization are not the typical people that normal NGOs hire. That is the underlining problem within countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan and others. DOS and USAid and NGOs all hire people or TELL (DIRECT) their people that they can't go out into the rural areas to talk and do the things that those organizations should be doing. So they sit in the larger cities sending Locals out with $100,000 of cash to do there own work. Then they don't like the military, so they will no use us to do that work. SO weather it is a school, water well, roads, bridge, etc that needs to be built, fixed etc. It will never be done due to that fact.

Hey I know we are not building a Nation as a military, but if your deploying, pick up the book and read it. Ten times better than Three Cups.

Exactly. And another thing that was interesting was the schools become part of the community and the locals really embrace it as their own. For example, if you remember when Muslims were enflamed by the supposed Koran defacing at Guantanamo Bay, there was rioting and all NGOs offices in the villiage of Baharak were destroyed but the school built there was left untouched. These people are really proud of these schools because they have a vested interest in them.

[MackallResident]

Currently reading Roberts Ridge: A Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan by Malcom Macpherson, great book thus far.

I have recently been reading the SERE school suggested reading list, at least a good portion of it, as they have listed a lot of books, and I doubt I will have time to read them all before my time comes to go.

Just finished The Night Stalkers by Micahel Durant and Steven Hartov, which is now one of my favorite pieces of lit that I own.

[Abu-Shakra]

Originally Posted by MackallResident

Currently reading Roberts Ridge: A Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan by Malcom Macpherson, great book thus far.

Thats a real good one. I'm friends with one of those Rangers. He's a great guy.

[Monsoon65]

Just started "A Dawn like Thunder" by Robert Mrazek. It's the story about Torpedo Eight during WW2. Very good book; I'm about half way thru right now.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan

by Doug Stanton

GREAT BOOK!!! Buy it for some SF or Soldier or Christmas. Great Stocking stuffer.

This absolutely riveting account of what the US did with a few bands of SF soldiers. Stanton is a great military witter, he covers the fighting alongside the Northern Alliance, the troops of both sides, the horseback riding and battles, achieved several important victories against the Taliban. It shows how a SF CAN work in Small 6 to 8 man ODAs. How when we work and live closer with the people we can working to get the insurgents out from a area or military section is can be done locally. It funny to sit back and read about people you have meet in country and read of their stories too.

Great Reading!!

I just saw this in the bookstore and was waiting to see if there was a recommendation for it on here. I am going to pick it up next time I am in the BX.

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan

by Doug Stanton

GREAT BOOK!!! Buy it for some SF or Soldier or Christmas. Great Stocking stuffer.

This absolutely riveting account of what the US did with a few bands of SF soldiers. Stanton is a great military witter, he covers the fighting alongside the Northern Alliance, the troops of both sides, the horseback riding and battles, achieved several important victories against the Taliban. It shows how a SF CAN work in Small 6 to 8 man ODAs. How when we work and live closer with the people we can working to get the insurgents out from a area or military section is can be done locally. It funny to sit back and read about people you have meet in country and read of their stories too.

Great Reading!!

Concur with the LtCol. I was looking at this book to read and for my son. I am sturggling to find him a Christmas present. He said he wanted a bevy of burka clad belly dancers. They seem in short supply her in the Land of the Free.. So....a good book it tis.
Thanks MtnGoat!
AM

[kgoerz]

If you like Armageddon Books
I just finished the Road and I am halfway thru one second after. Both are good to go.

[IrishYanksFan]

Now that the semester is over I'm resuming "My FBI" by former FBI Director Louis Freeh. His son is in my ROTC unit, too.

[frostfire]

The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout

[Guntry Kong]

HUNTING AL QAEDA BY ANONYMOUS
THE RED BOOK

[Abu-Shakra]

The Bachelor Chronicles by Ron Geraci

Needed a little change of reading for a bit.

[GratefulCitizen]

Just finished Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.

As the title indicates, the book addresses how and why people consistently make certain irrational decisions.
Very good read.


This subject has been an area of personal interest and has resulted in lifestyle changes for my family.
Specifically, the disconnect from readily available mass media.
Have neither cable tv nor internet at home.

Similar ideas were presented in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.
A more narrow view focusing on how people incorrectly estimate probabilities (quite badly) was presented by Jeffrey S. Rosenthal in Struck by Lightning.
Ian Ayres' Super Crunchers addresses how some businesses are taking advantage of information technology to exploit predictable, irrational decisions.

On deck is Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini.
Already read the epilogue.
Looks like it will address many of the techniques used to exploit consumers' irrational decisions.

[ZooKeeper]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

If you like Armageddon Books
I just finished the Road and I am halfway thru one second after. Both are good to go.

Agree with "The Road"

Currently waiting on "One Second After" to get here.

[ck333]

"The One that got away" by Chris Ryan. I am only a few pages in, but after reading "Bravo Two-Zero" I am intrigued about the E&E exploits of Ryan, the only member of the SAS team that didn't get captured during the buildup to operation Desert Storm.

I also just finished reading "The Mission, The Men, and Me" by retired Delta Force commander LTC Pete Blaber. Really enjoyed this one too.

CK