I look forward each evening for the chance to get back into this book! I was lucky enough to catch site of this book in Melbourne Airport. My first copy was left behind in a Sydney cab so I was off to buy a new one when I was on my return trip to Brisbane. I cannot speak highly enough of this book. As an American I never had a good feel for Abraham Lincoln as a man or as a President with any great depth. Doris Kearns Goodwin has made Abraham Lincoln come alive in my imagination. The lessons in this book are so relevant across so many dimenstions in modern political, business and community life. Lincoln encouraged his political (and personal) rivals to take senior positions in his government. He was a master at interpersonal and strategic leadership despite some apparent missteps in the latter early in his tenure. How many CEOs are able to draw a team of contrarians together to create a dynamic team focused on execution? How many politicians actively seek to include rivals in a ‘conversation’ on issues to drive resolution as opposed to point scoring. One thing that really whacks me when I read this book; times may be tough now but they had enormous challenges in Lincoln’s era. The Civil War is almost beyond description for its bloodshed and the day to day lives of people were always tinged with death whether by war or disease.
