by Richard Stengel. “The power to inspire was once America’s greatest asset.” I’ve heard various leaders from Secretary Mattis to professors at West Point describe the importance of America’s ability to inspire. In this book, Richard Stengel attributes the quote to a foreign ambassador, but the key point is the tense – “was.” In Information … Continue reading Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation

By Thomas Kent Russian leaders know they will not win a conventional military conflict with the United States. They also know they don’t have to. Despite America’s advantages in alliances, advanced weaponry, and manufacturing capability, Russia has trained to fight in the information space and honed their skills to the point that in any conflict … Continue reading Striking Back: Overt and Covert Options to Combat Russian Disinformation

By Jonathan Haidt Although this book makes a detailed argument for why conservatives and liberals think the way they do and is particularly appropriate for study during an election year, the basic tenets of Haidt’s theories are applicable to how any group of humans form their moral codes and preferences. This is particularly relevant to … Continue reading The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics

Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy Intelligence analysts tend to focus on Russia’s weaponry, information operations doctrine, and recent tactics in the Ukraine, but few study the individual responsible for linking these activities together and driving Russia’s future – Vladmir Putin. In Mr. Putin, Ms. Hill and Mr. Gaddy explore the formative events of Putin’s … Continue reading Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin

by Dr. Keren Yarhi-Milo Intelligence drives operations. Or at least that is what Army doctrine teaches and intelligence professionals believe and repeat. Keren Yarhi-Milo’s thesis of “Selective Attention,” however, argues that the organizational expertise of the IC is less influential than decision makers’ own personal perceptions and theories when predicting an adversary’s intentions. She examines … Continue reading Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations

by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking The next war will not be fought on a conventional battlefield but in the information and cognitive space. In this “LikeWar” power is not measured by physical strength or high-tech hardware but by command of attention and perception. Winning this type of war requires master of the following … Continue reading LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media

by Warren Berger “A beautiful question is an ambitious yet achievable question that can begin to shift the way we perceive or think about something and that might serve as a catalyst to bring about change.” This is a great book for the military because we often fall in on the same mission statement, the … Continue reading A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas

by Christian Brose The United States will lose the next large scale conflict because the most advanced systems it has will be immediately destroyed, or more likely, won’t even make it to the battlefield. China and Russia have focused their efforts on developing relatively low cost systems and networks that are exceptionally flexible, fast, dynamic … Continue reading The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare

by W. Brad Johnson and David Smith Women are currently serving in some of the highest positions within both private and public sectors, but they are still vastly outnumbered by men in senior positions.  It is therefore critical that senior male leaders proactively mentor women and recognize the subconscious biases that may prevent them from … Continue reading Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women

by David Crist The only consistency in the United States’ relationship with Iran is that our timing, actions, and message are always completely wrong. When Iran has offered diplomatic openings or opportunities to work together (after 9-11, prior to operations in Afghanistan, at the start of operations in Iraq, oil contracts with Conoco, etc.), we … Continue reading The Twilight War: The Secret History of America’s Thirty Year Conflict with Iran