Highest Duty

America knows him as the pilot who made the remarkable emergency landing on the Hudson River in January, 2009. Capt. Sullenburger describes himself more simply as a pilot who believes that personal judgment must be used along with technology. He is a man who has trained, practiced, and worked hard for over 40 years, as a pilot, a husband, and a father. He describes learning to fly and his experiences in the Air Force, highlighting experiences that he believes have made him a better leader. What stands out about this man, however, are his values. He believes in taking responsibility for everyone in his care--a belief that certainly was put into action during his Hudson River landing. He also talks about his belief in the American "can do" spirit, which drives people to prepare for the unexpected and to meet those challenges with optimism and courage. This is the intimate life story of a man with traditional American values--hard work, responsibility, service to others--and a tale in how cultivating these seemingly ordinary traits can prepare someone to perform extraordinary acts.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow
TL 540 .S45 A3 2009

1000 CEOs

This fascinating book is a collection of short biographies of 1000 Chief Executive Officers from companies around the world. Each biography shares major career decisions made by the CEO and why they have been considered a success. Each leader also offers lessons that they learned through their experience in business. The biographies are organized into chapters based on leadership strength. For example, some are notable because they are innovators or leaders of start-up companies, while others are known for being strategists, visionaries, or globalists. An extensive index allows leaders to be found by name or by the companies that they represent.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

1000 CEOs: Proven Strategies for Success from the World's Smartest Executives
Andrew Davidson, editor-in-chief
HD 38.2 .A124 2009

Soft Spots

Marine Sergeant Clint Van Winkle was part of the first wave of soldiers to fight in Iraq in 2003. When he returned home, however, the images of war would not leave his mind. He often experienced fragmented memories of Iraqi men hiding behind old stone walls, blood splattered on his armored assault vehicle, and saw the bodies of casualties, both soldiers and civilians, lying in the streets. He tried to suppress these memories with alcohol, but could not. In a Veterans Administration hospital, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, given a cursory examination, and sent home with a few pills. Van Winkle continued to struggle, not only with the images of war, but also to find a place in American society that did not understand the war he had fought, the personal losses he had experienced, or the sense of duty that he felt. This personal story gives insight into the experiences of a soldier during and after the Iraq War.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Soft Spots: A Marine's Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Clint Van Winkle
DS 79.76 .V36 2009

Soldiers Once

Whitney writes about her brother, Jim Schuler, a Vietnam veteran. In addition to telling the story of Jim's struggle to find a place for himself in the world, she writes about what happened to him after he returned from Vietnam. Jim drowns himself in alcohol, alienates himself from his family, and never quite recovers from the trauma of war. Unable to successfully integrate into society, Jim becomes increasingly isolated, finally dying in poverty at the age of 54. While telling her brother's story, Whitney puts it into the context of an American society that did not support the Vietnam war and does not recognize the human casualties within the men who faught there. She shows the differing priorities of the military community in which Jim lived, contrasting them with those of her family. Finally, Whitney comments on the way that military personnel and veterans are treated in society today.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Soldiers Once: My Brother and the Lost Dreams of America's Veterans
Catherine Whitney
DS 559.73 .U6 W47 2009