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Tag: Books

Greg Mortenson: Tea Stains and Hollow Stones

Published on April 26, 2011

Like countless others, I am heart-broken and viscerally angry since learning the news of Greg Mortenson’s conflation, exaggeration and fabrication of many of the stories and details in his two best-selling books “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones in Schools”.

Mortenson, a former emergency room trauma nurse, former mountain climber, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated author, and co-founder of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), created a reputation as a quixotic humanitarian activist. And became an unlikely champion for girls’ education globally and building bridges to peace by constructing schools. His books sold more than 4 million copies and were standard reading for US service members deploying to Afghanistan. He consulted regularly with US military leadership on engagement of Pashtun tribesman.

In a decade of war news, economic turmoil, and frequent natural disasters, that the media gladly reported on and we, the public devoured; his were the on-going feel-good stories that rose above the cynicism and disillusionment.

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Of Past and Future Strengths: The Colby

Published on April 5, 2011

At the base of the Green Mountains is an institution like no other in the United States. In the quaint town of Northfield, Vermont sits Norwich University, the country’s oldest private military college. Few American institutions of higher learning as old as it still adhere to the principles of its founders. In a very substantial sense, Norwich today is the lengthened shadow of its founder, Captain Alden Partridge whose philosophy continues to guide Norwich in its 175th year. “We are here to serve this great nation and educate students who will become leaders in business, government, and the military in order to advance the causes of the Republic, ensure its continued freedom, and develop the economic, political, and social infrastructure of this new century.”

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Remember Freedom is Not Free

Remember Freedom is Not Free

Published on November 11, 2010

Veterans Day began in 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson designated November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day to remember the end of the “War to End All Wars” and honor those who have served our great Nation in uniform.

As we observe this Veterans Day, the tenth as a Nation at war, please support our service members. Support is an action verb. It means much more than putting a yellow sticker on your car. It means doing something—volunteering at the Veterans Administration hospital in your area, donating to the USO, VFW, IAVA, Wounded Warriors or one of the hundreds of organizations that focus on veterans. It means voting for candidates that actually write legislation that protect veterans’ benefits. It also encompasses learning about those who have served and our serving our Nation close to home and on foreign soil.

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Recommended Reads-Every Soldier Has a Story

Published on October 13, 2010

During World War II 6% of Americans served in uniform. The war effort was ever-present in the daily lives of the remaining 94% of Americans. The nation as a whole shared in the sacrifices of the war — men entered the military, women worked in the factories, and all people rationed gas and food. Two generations later, those percentages have changed dramatically. Today less than 1% of the American population serves or has served in the Armed Forces. That decrease of military experience has contributed to an increased detachment of the military from the remainder of the nation. For most Americans it is easy and understandable to go about daily life without even acknowledging we are a nation at war. Who are these soldiers? What are their stories?

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All it Takes is One

Published on August 6, 2010

The Honored Role Series will return next week.

Writing is a solitary act, but publishing is a team effort. The journey from paper or computer screen to an actual book is a long and circuitous one. It is hard work and it is a process, one in which emotions modulate like a sine wave. During the last several weeks since the publication of my first book, I received many inquiries into what motivated me to put pen to paper (more accurately fingers to the keyboard) and to share my maiden voyage.

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Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Stories – Porcelain on Steel Now Available

Published on June 8, 2010

Today is an important day; Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line is officially released. While writing is a solitary act, publishing requires a team effort. Bringing this book to life was a six-year journey during which many supported me. It came to fruition thanks to many friends, family members, mentors and professionals who believed in the idea and provided endless amounts of encouragement, counsel, love and friendship.

My hope is Porcelain on Steel inspires constructive conversation about strong women role models and the importance of education, leadership, personal responsibility and public service.

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