Army Chief of Staff Reading List #5

Here’s another one from the Chief of Staff reading list.  As always, I read it now because it became available.  There’s a lesson here too.  If you put a hold on a dozen or so books at once, several will probably become available at the same time.  Then you have to listen or read fast.  I’m usually a 1.5x guy but I’ve listened to the last few at 2.0x.  It’s great while working out but it can be awkward when you’re doing dishes.  Lesson learned.

So, Strategic Vision was written by Zbigniew Brzezinski.  Mr. Brzezinski was the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter.  According to his Goodreads bio, he is often considered “Democrats’ response to Republican realist Henry Kissinger.”  He was thought hawkish at a time when many were not after the Vietnam War.  I found that exceptionally interesting as Strategic Vision is not a hawkish take.

Strategic Vision examines the state of America and her place in the world while looking towards the future and what can be expected.  Given this book was written in 2011, I found it extremely prescient.  Mr. Brzezinski foresaw Russia’s aggressive excursion into Ukraine, not in specific terms as it was not a prediction, but rather Russia’s need for natural resources and possible locations to acquire them.  He discusses the need for strong leaders to maintain America’s role as a superpower going forward and that most problems will not be solved militarily.

I really enjoyed this book but, and this is a big one, it is matched very much by my own world view.  I hope that my enjoyment of this book is not directly tied to the degree of confirmation bias it provided me.