Jeff's Zone 2

Great book on WWII (and leadership)

I just finished reading Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace.

This book is fantastic. It is a great read for anyone who enjoys reading about WWII and military history (as I do). But in this case it also explores the key senior relationships in the war. Not just between Marshall and Ike, but between the Allied Joint Chiefs, between Roosevelt and Churchill, and between Ike and his subordinates.

It is fascinating to explore situations where these leaders had to decide which organizational and political battles to fight, when to allow organizational conflict to occur and when to stop it, when to trust and support the decisions of their direct reports without getting in the way, and when to step in and exert their authority. All when the fate of the Allies and millions of lives were in the balance.

There are many lessons in here about how to lead people and teams that apply to business and life as well as to war. I highly recommend it.

If the government really wants to stimulate the economy...

... don't give out rebate checks. Give out gift cards.

Soprano's Ending: My Take

I have been reading the various comments on the Soprano's ending and while I haven't posted on a topic such as this, I feel the need to speak up.

I think that what happened in the final episode is that we, the audience, got whacked. Dramatically speaking, that is. I am serious. Think about it...  We were drawn into an intense scene with the family finally coming together as "normal" people (yet not normal because they can never truly be safe) and then when the words to the song say "don't stop"....POW. It all goes dark. Never mind what we were thinking. Never mind what we were doing. Never mind what we were hoping to see next. POOF. Just like any number of people got whacked on that show throughout the years.

No question in my mind that it was a deliberate and well thought out way to let us keep experiencing the show in a personal way well beyond the end.

Couple other thoughts: that scene with meadow having trouble parking? That is a metaphor for them having trouble bringing the show to an end.

And, I loved the way they paid homage to The Godfather..... a re-enactment of the scene with Michael Corleone going into the restroom of the family restaurant before coming out shooting! Gotta love it.

Anyway, I would have loved to see more but the show had to end at some point so it is what it is. At least they got everyone talking!!!!