New Navy Professional Reading List
The Navy just came out with a new professional reading list that differs greatly from the existing lists (officer and enlisted). The new list has a total of 60 books, 12 for each of five "experience levels": Junior Enlisted (E1-E4), Leading Petty Officer (E5-E6), Division Leader (O1-O3, CWO2, and E7), Department/Command Leader (O4-O5, CWO3-CWO4, and E8-E9), and Command Leader (O-6 and up, CWO5, and CMC) -- I think that's a better breakout than the old "officer/enlisted" lists. Each of the 12 book lists has two books from each of six categories: Leadership, Naval and Military Heritage, Joint and Combined Warfare, Regional and Cultural Awareness, Critical Thinking, and Management and Strategic Planning.
I'm excited to see some of the additions ("Ender's Game" for Junior Enlisted and "The World Is Flat" for Division Leaders), and perplexed about some others ("Starship Troopers" under the Leadership category for Junior Enlisted?), but overall they seem to be pretty good choices. I was disappointed, though, to see two books in particular that didn't make it from the old lists: "Thunder Below" by Gene Fluckey, and "The United States Navy: 200 Years" by Ned Beach. The fact that both were by submariners had nothing to do with my sorrow at seeing them go -- they're just good books. (I'm wondering, though, if Capt. Beach's tendency to take a more "critical" look at some Naval leaders of the past may have led to his book not making the list.)
I think that Navy's plan to give a copy of all the books to each ship (fittingly, USS Constitution got them first) is a great idea; as a taxpayer, I fully approve of this use of the Navy's money. (On a personal note, Master Chief Juskiewicz, SEA CMC, shown in this photo delivering the books to the Constitution, is an old shipmate of mine.)
posted by Bubblehead at 12:03 AM
8 Comments:
Interesting books on the list, I'm glad that they did not include the normal dribble of crap from the political side. IE, Atlas Shrugged and the other books that are pushed around within the JO community-IE the leadership books, LOL.
I am saddened that Thunder Below was not included in the list, that is probably the greatest example of positive leadership during extreme challenge in the submarine force. I also feel that Submarine Operations of WWII and the surface equivalant should be added to show what crews have done to survive during combat and came back.
Ender's Game? The first 3 books of the series should be mandatory. Card wrote very simply and very good in that series. It teaches youngins how bad life can be and succeed. I think it was written (in my education day) at about the 8th grade level and easy reading.
Starship Troopers, another example of squad unity and leadership training is another fine example of Heinlen. Another example of what is not mostly taught outside the submarine force and the marines, unity and the push to learn your seniors job, as they are disposable and might just go away in a heartbeat.
I am glad to see the usual drival of BS books go away, but I won't be purchasing any new books on the list.
When will they become mandatory and off of NKO? hehehe......
Now, if they added ALL of Heinlen, and ALL of Card for free? hehe...I would like that.
10/02/2006 1:11 AM
Hell yeah, Starship Troopers! Anyone who only saw the movie and didn't read the book is really missing out. Though I guess that can be said for most liturature.
10/02/2006 2:28 PM
I grok Starship Troopers ;)
10/02/2006 5:46 PM
Starship Troopers is a Poli Sci 101 textbook disguised as great science fiction. They should pass it out in boot camp, along with the Bluejackets Manual.
10/02/2006 8:09 PM
Another up vote for Heinlein and a boo about missing Thunder Below. The submariners, though, will take care of it for themselves, especially the West Coast guys. There's a reason the CSG7 building got named Fluckey Hall; we remember such things.
I could seriously snark over a couple of recent books that aren't on the list, but will keep a civil tongue...
10/02/2006 8:42 PM
Aw crap. I thought "Pentagon's New Map" when you wrote "The World Is Flat".
Friedman? On the reading list? Holy cripes!
Did anyone think about perhaps not recommending Captain Obvious? Just read the book review!
I fear for my service. Dropped Thunder Below for The World Is Flat.
Oy.
10/02/2006 8:48 PM
"The World is Flat" is a good read. Sure opened my eyes up to the real meaning of "global economy", and explained why all those telemarketers sound so...Hindu.
10/03/2006 2:38 AM
For what it's worth, I've put up a small web site so's folks can track their progress through the various military reading lists. For example, here's my progress page. Also, notice that "The World Is Flat" appears on both the Coast Guard and the Navy lists. Interesting to see those overlaps...
12/22/2008 8:22 AM
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