Double Meaning

Most of the time I am actively reading a suspense novel… and whenever I discover new authors, I’ll dive into every one of their tomes. Thus, I quickly made my way through all 11 books in Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s Pendergast series after I stumbled upon “Dance of the Dead” at an airport bookstore in 2006. (Can’t wait for the next one in December!) I also read many of the novels they wrote individually.

Historical thriller films – like Nicholas Cage’s “National Treasure” – also are great entertainment for me. There’s something about the mix of history and fiction blended with suspenseful drama that creates a few hours of diversion from the challenges of everyday life.

Many of these storylines date to the American Revolution, which provided a lot of subplots as George Washington continually outflanked the more seasoned and better supplied British military officers with ingenuity and sleight-of-hand. (The best historical fiction writer is my friend William Martin. Read “Citizen Washington” for amazing insight on our nation’s greatest leader.)

If I ever get around to writing the next great American fiction novel, I think much of it will be encrypted. In the meantime, in case you’re curious what reading it would be like, here is a famous quote from the other greatest American president. Have fun deciphering:

Gpit dvptr smf drbrm urstd shp pit gsyjrtd ntpihjy gptyj pm yjod vpmyomrmy, s mre msyopm, vpmvrobrf om zonrtyu, smf frfovsyrf yp yjr atpapdoyopm yjsy szz qrm str vtrsyrf rwisz.

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Lessons Learned – #6

This is the sixth most important lesson I learned during 2010:

Few Words – In his bestselling book, “Drive,” Daniel Pink tells the story of how in 1962, Claire Booth Luce told President Kennedy, “A great man is one sentence.” Lincoln preserved the union and freed the slaves. FDR lifted us out of a depression and helped win a world war. Ms. Luce was challenging JFK to narrow his initiatives. ‘What’s your sentence?’ is an excellent question to ask yourself to ensure your mission and work are aligned.

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