I read this book in the January, way before Rudy Guiliani stepped down in his bid for president. But even then I had mixed opinions about him and how he was running his campaign. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot because it came highly recommended from Ahmed, so my second book of 2008 was Leadership, by Rudolph W. Guiliani.

Immediately after finishing the book, I definitely felt moved by the author’s account of 9/11, and inspired to work hard and become a strong leader. So, to his credit, I think Mr. Guiliani’s got an incredible ability to communicate persuasively, and it shows in his writing.

Once the immediate impact wore off and I thought some more, it did feel a little like the book might be a slightly biased account in favor of the author. I guess it’d be an exaggeration to say that Guiliani presents himself like a character in an Ayn Rand book, but he definitely does paint himself to be a downright amazing guy. And to write a book on leadership by using yourself as the prime example is definitely a whole new level of boastful versus, say, a Wings of Fire by Abdul Kalam.

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and there are some good takeaways about leadership. Forget for a moment any prejudgments you have about the author or his politics, take it as a collection of good anecdotes about leadership, and you might have a good experience with this book. Recommended.