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Title details for Hard Call by John McCain - Available

Hard Call

Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them

by John McCain
Mark Salter
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
America's most inspiring politician pays tribute to men and woman who have exhibited composure, wisdom and intellect in the face of tough decisions. John McCain draws from experiences of both extraordinary people and people in extraordinary circumstances, culling lessons about the process and nature of judicious and effective decision-making.
Acclaimed authors John McCain and Mark Salter describe the anatomy of great decisions in history by telling the remarkable stories of men and women who have exemplified composure, wisdom, and intellect in the face of life's toughest decisions. They identify six qualities typically represented in the best decisions: Awareness. Timing. Foresight. Confidence. Humility. Inspiration. These qualities are personified by the exceptional individuals in this book, each of whom made a hard call, including:
Henry Ford's decision to sacrifice his company's competitive edge by reducing the work day and guaranteeing a minimum wage;
Branch Rickey's decision to offer Jackie Robinson a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the face of public opposition;
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf 's decision to return to wartorn Liberia after receiving an economics degree from Harvard;
General Fred Weyand's decision to redeploy fifteen of his battalions despite resistance from senior American military commanders in Vietnam.
Woven into these stories are John McCain's own views on the process and art of decision-making and examples of the hard calls we face in our lives. "When I assess a decision," McCain writes, "I want to know all I can about the character of the decision maker before I examine the properties of the decision, its outcome or how it was arrived at."
Hard Call is a testament to the people whose choices serve as a beacon for us all.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 14, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781594839443
      • File size: 246390 KB
      • Duration: 08:33:18

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      With his political intentions so well known, it can be difficult to discern if this is a simple attempt to examine "hard calls" in history or merely McCain's way of demonstrating his knowledge of such events. Of course, the implication is that he, too, knows how to identify such situations and make the right choices. Daniel Kelly uses emphasis and a deliberate pace to good effect as the author discusses events such as the CHALLENGER explosion, the invention of the telephone, and the decisions that led to Jackie Robinson's crossing the color line. McCain's narrations are delivered in a more oratory fashion that resembles speeches or lectures more than actual narration. Much like a campaign speech, the bonus "conversation" sounds a bit rehearsed. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 30, 2007
      As he faces down the perplexing issues of war in Iraq and immigration reform at home, it's fitting that Arizona senator McCain, a contender for the 2008 Republican presidential bid, would spend time reflecting on principled stands that either "win a hero's welcome or indefinite pain and suffering." McCain and co-author Salter follow the blueprint of their previous book, Why Courage Matters, to provide readers with a series of character-as-history profiles of the men and women who shaped seminal moments in 20th century political and cultural history, from the integration of professional baseball to the pardoning of Richard Nixon to the end of the Cold War, as well as seemingly trivial accomplishments like the invention of the disposable razor ("Sell the shave, not the razor"). Throughout, an insider's view provides keen insight on the caprices of history and more than a few echoes of current events, most importantly the interplay between personal experience and national destiny. Meticulously crafted, this collection will appeal to those who respect McCain's reputation as a maverick for whom "faith and courage" ranks among the most important forces in human history.

    • Library Journal

      July 30, 2007
      As he faces down the perplexing issues of war in Iraq and immigration reform at home, it's fitting that Arizona senator McCain, a contender for the 2008 Republican presidential bid, would spend time reflecting on principled stands that either "win a hero's welcome or indefinite pain and suffering." McCain and co-author Salter follow the blueprint of their previous book, Why Courage Matters, to provide readers with a series of character-as-history profiles of the men and women who shaped seminal moments in 20th century political and cultural history, from the integration of professional baseball to the pardoning of Richard Nixon to the end of the Cold War, as well as seemingly trivial accomplishments like the invention of the disposable razor ("Sell the shave, not the razor"). Throughout, an insider's view provides keen insight on the caprices of history and more than a few echoes of current events, most importantly the interplay between personal experience and national destiny. Meticulously crafted, this collection will appeal to those who respect McCain's reputation as a maverick for whom "faith and courage" ranks among the most important forces in human history.

      Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      August 1, 2007
      Much admired for his integrity, McCain offers profiles of individuals who have been confronted with difficult situations and made heroic choices. He beginsBud Day, an air force major who escaped captivity in Vietnam in 1967 only to be recaptured and help othersincluding McCainsurvive.McCain details the qualities represented in making the hard calls in life: awareness, foresight, timing, confidence, humility, and inspiration. The most important part of the equation is self-awareness, and McCain recalls how his own lack of self-awareness caused him to be captured in Vietnam. In separate chapters, he explores each of those qualities and provides examples of people who exemplify them. Branch Rickey, who broke the color barrier in American baseball by hiring Jackie Robinson, is profiled for his awareness of the pernicious impact of racism. Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, the former pacifist, who turned his considerable intellectto support World War II, is profiled for his humility in recognizing the paradox of war in the context of moral responsibility. McCain also cites former President Gerald Ford for his humility in showing mercy for disgraced President Nixon and pardoning him, at great political cost.Among the inspirational profiles areApollo II mission commander Neil Armstrong and Captain Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded the all-black Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War.McCain andcowriter Salter treatall of those profiled in great detail, providing the historical context for their hard calls.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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