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What Books Taught Me About Life in 2025
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve spent the final month of each year reflecting on the books I read over the previous twelve months. Without fail, a set of themes and lessons emerges from what initially feels like a random stack of titles and genres....
Four Reasons to Write a Book Review
by Caleb Miller Have you ever met someone with a goal to write a certain number of words a week? How much quality content are they actually producing? Have you ever met anyone with a goal to read a certain number of pages a day or books...
Following White Rabbits
By Joe Byerly Even though we have more information at our fingertips than ever before, it’s getting easier to get stuck in echo chambers. News outlets cater to their “brand” of audience. Algorithms serve us content based on our browsing histories....
Are You Ready for the Siege?
By Joe Byerly Have you ever been in a very stressful situation? I’m not talking about getting stuck at a red light with two minutes to park and make it to an important meeting stressful. I mean the kind of stress that feels like you’re...
From Books to Battlefields: The Enduring Legacy of MajGen William F Mullen (USMC)
By Jeff Horn, Jr. “I prioritize self-development because I never want to look back and say, ‘I lost some of my Marines because I could not outthink the enemy.’” – Major General William F Mullen I met Major General (MajGen) William F. Mullen in a...
What Life (and Books) Taught Me in 2024
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve been compiling an annual reading list of the books I’ve finished each year. As the year winds down, I take time to reflect on what I’ve learned. For me, reading isn’t about getting smarter—it’s about living better....
The Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Special Operations Command Recommends these 5 books for your Christmas Stocking
By Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann I am busy. But every day, I make time to read. For me, my dedicated time is early morning before anything else competes for my attention. I also read on flights and on lazy weekends. Most nights, you...
Three Football Books On Leadership
“There is no substitute for victory.” -General Douglas MacArthur “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” -Vince Lombardi While baseball is America’s pastime, football is America’s game. Since the beginnings of American Football, the...
Understanding Weapons of Math Destruction: A Critical Analysis of Algorithmic Impact
by John Geracitano In the book Weapons of Math Destruction, author Cathy O’Neil critically examines mathematical models and machine learning (ML) algorithms. Leveraging her expertise in mathematics and her experience in the financial industry,...
Identifying Bias in Your Workplace? Read Kim Scott’s Just Work
by Aidan Looney As a West Point Cadet, I often hear that the academy is a leadership laboratory. Cadets are given the space and opportunities to experiment in leadership and learn how they want to lead before going out to the operational...
What Books Taught Me About Life in 2025
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve spent the final month of each year reflecting on the books I read over the previous twelve months. Without fail, a set of themes and lessons emerges from what initially feels like a random stack of titles and genres....
What Life (and Books) Taught Me in 2024
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve been compiling an annual reading list of the books I’ve finished each year. As the year winds down, I take time to reflect on what I’ve learned. For me, reading isn’t about getting smarter—it’s about living better....
The Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Special Operations Command Recommends these 5 books for your Christmas Stocking
By Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann I am busy. But every day, I make time to read. For me, my dedicated time is early morning before anything else competes for my attention. I also read on flights and on lazy weekends. Most nights, you...
What Reading Taught Me About Living in 2023
By Joe Byerly Essayist Maria Popova recently wrote, “To look back on a year of reading is to be handed a clear mirror of your priorities and passions, of the questions that live in you and the reckonings that keep you up at night.”...
AI Picked 25 Books Military Leaders Should Read
by Jasper AI (with oversight from Joe Byerly and Jack Hadley) A Note from Joe and Jack: Recently From the Green Notebook leadership has been playing with artificial intelligence (AI) tools for artwork, branding, and social media posting. To assess...
4 Reading Recs For Holistic Self-Development
by Jack Hadley Military professionals’ reading for self-development tends to fall into two general categories. First, well, military professional reading. This genre is flexible, but generally includes things like A Message to Garcia (and other...
What Reading Taught Me About Living in 2022
By Joe Byerly Lesson #1: The finish line is never fixed Several authors warned about the dangers of hitching our happiness to goal achievement. Too many of us spend years doing things we don’t enjoy while sacrificing the things that bring us...
Seven Books Every Company Commander Should Read
by Dan Vigeant Leaders worth following are readers. This is not an original, or even new thought. Countless General Officers, business professionals, and thriving entrepreneurs laud the benefits of reading for personal and professional...
Read Voraciously: General Miller’s Reading Recommendations
By Joe Byerly During my recent interview with General Scott Miller, he said, “If you are a serious practitioner in the military, you have to be a voracious reader. If you’re not well-read, it becomes readily apparent.” He went on to say that...
Read Eclectically: Stan McChrystal’s Book Recommendations
In a recent interview on the From the Green Notebook Podcast, the team asked retired General Stanley McChrystal for book recommendations. He began by sharing the book that was the most influential to his military career. Once an Eagle by Anton...
Four Reasons to Write a Book Review
by Caleb Miller Have you ever met someone with a goal to write a certain number of words a week? How much quality content are they actually producing? Have you ever met anyone with a goal to read a certain number of pages a day or books...
Three Football Books On Leadership
“There is no substitute for victory.” -General Douglas MacArthur “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” -Vince Lombardi While baseball is America’s pastime, football is America’s game. Since the beginnings of American Football, the...
Understanding Weapons of Math Destruction: A Critical Analysis of Algorithmic Impact
by John Geracitano In the book Weapons of Math Destruction, author Cathy O’Neil critically examines mathematical models and machine learning (ML) algorithms. Leveraging her expertise in mathematics and her experience in the financial industry,...
Identifying Bias in Your Workplace? Read Kim Scott’s Just Work
by Aidan Looney As a West Point Cadet, I often hear that the academy is a leadership laboratory. Cadets are given the space and opportunities to experiment in leadership and learn how they want to lead before going out to the operational...
Three Hockey Books On Leadership
By Dan Sukman If you want to go somewhere fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go together. – Glen Sather Sports often serve as a metaphor, and in many cases as a testing ground for real life. There are lessons we learn playing youth...
Book Review: Phil Jackson’s Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
By Ryan Kranc and Megan Jantos Editor’s note: This piece is published to coincide with Army Leader Exchange’s second annual #MarchMasters competition. Click here to vote for From the Green Notebook or other leader development content...
Book Review: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
By John Geracitano Having three kids at home, time has become my most valuable commodity. This may be why the bestselling book Four Thousand Weeks resonated with my halfway-complete journey of an approximate 80-year life. In a sea of...
A Father-Daughter Book Club Review of Slaughterhouse-Five
by Amy Padilla My father is a retired Marine Corps Major General and a combat veteran who gave over 37 years of his life to the service. He is now living his best life in Woodland Park, CO, enjoying retirement and lots of time with family. A big...
Leadership Lessons from the Patriot Way
A Review of Jeff Benedict’s The Dynasty By Oren Abusch-Magder When I failed my first patrol at Ranger School, I paused and told myself “we’re on to Cincinnati.” On September 30th 2014, the New England Patriots were drubbed 41-14 by the Kansas City...
Are You an Ultralearner?
By Joe Byerly I recently finished Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career by Scott H. Young. This is an interesting read and in many respects can serve as the self-development bible for those addicted...
What Books Taught Me About Life in 2025
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve spent the final month of each year reflecting on the books I read over the previous twelve months. Without fail, a set of themes and lessons emerges from what initially feels like a random stack of titles and genres....
What Life (and Books) Taught Me in 2024
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve been compiling an annual reading list of the books I’ve finished each year. As the year winds down, I take time to reflect on what I’ve learned. For me, reading isn’t about getting smarter—it’s about living better....
The Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Special Operations Command Recommends these 5 books for your Christmas Stocking
By Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann I am busy. But every day, I make time to read. For me, my dedicated time is early morning before anything else competes for my attention. I also read on flights and on lazy weekends. Most nights, you...
What Reading Taught Me About Living in 2023
By Joe Byerly Essayist Maria Popova recently wrote, “To look back on a year of reading is to be handed a clear mirror of your priorities and passions, of the questions that live in you and the reckonings that keep you up at night.”...
AI Picked 25 Books Military Leaders Should Read
by Jasper AI (with oversight from Joe Byerly and Jack Hadley) A Note from Joe and Jack: Recently From the Green Notebook leadership has been playing with artificial intelligence (AI) tools for artwork, branding, and social media posting. To assess...
4 Reading Recs For Holistic Self-Development
by Jack Hadley Military professionals’ reading for self-development tends to fall into two general categories. First, well, military professional reading. This genre is flexible, but generally includes things like A Message to Garcia (and other...
What Reading Taught Me About Living in 2022
By Joe Byerly Lesson #1: The finish line is never fixed Several authors warned about the dangers of hitching our happiness to goal achievement. Too many of us spend years doing things we don’t enjoy while sacrificing the things that bring us...
Seven Books Every Company Commander Should Read
by Dan Vigeant Leaders worth following are readers. This is not an original, or even new thought. Countless General Officers, business professionals, and thriving entrepreneurs laud the benefits of reading for personal and professional...
Read Voraciously: General Miller’s Reading Recommendations
By Joe Byerly During my recent interview with General Scott Miller, he said, “If you are a serious practitioner in the military, you have to be a voracious reader. If you’re not well-read, it becomes readily apparent.” He went on to say that...
Read Eclectically: Stan McChrystal’s Book Recommendations
In a recent interview on the From the Green Notebook Podcast, the team asked retired General Stanley McChrystal for book recommendations. He began by sharing the book that was the most influential to his military career. Once an Eagle by Anton...
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