Rating: 
Summary: Great man, great book
Review: Although there were a few points where I think the book could have been better written, overall this was a very stimulating. Several points:--Its a wonderful illustration what someone can achieve, despite coming from very humble beginnings. Powell started life in a poor neighborhood in the Bronx and wound up the highest ranking officer of the world's most powerful military (the book was published long before he became Sec of State). --Leadership traits--the book is laced with insights on leadership Powell developed as he advanced in his career. His leadership rules should be followed by everyone in a position of authority, whether military, business, government, or nonprofit. For example, the first rule he mentions is that "sometime you have to piss people off", and he relates a story of when he failed to make a tough decision and his ROTC corps paid the price. I'm recommending this to everyone in management. --Discrimination--Powell gives examples of discrimination he has faced throughout his life (e.g., coming back from Vietnam and not being able to buy a burger at a restaurant). He decided early on that racism was not going to hold him back, and he pushed to excel. --His inside perspective on everything from Iran-Contra to the Gulf War is very interesting (e.g., conversations with President Bush about how to handle Hussein). Powell's command of world events and issues make him perfect for his current position as Sec of State. I think our nation may have missed a great president in his decision not to run.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting book about an interesting man
Review: Colin Powell is a many-faceted, intelligent man. He is also quite modest. I'd decided to read this book mainly because I wanted to know more about our current Secretary of State. I usually don't care for biographies about figures still living and I fully expected not to finish this one, however Powell's story about his rise from the streets of the Bronx to the White House captivated me. My only quibble was that I found his time spent on Army commands much more fascinating than the time spent in the White House. Powell himself tried throughout his career to remain in command of troops but he kept being pulled back to Washington because of the excellent job he could do. The book may have suffered just a bit from bloat but on the whole I found it an interesting study of a good man.
Rating: 
Summary: Diminishes Powell - Self-Serving
Review: I wanted more from Colin Powell. I wanted to be impressed by the man thought to embody American probity and good sense. But he's just another the inside-the-beltway politico, needy for praise and quick to pass blame. Insecure, he crams in every compliment he's ever received, from a university job offer to a comment that he'd make a good vice-president. Vindictive, he avenges old grudges. He smears General John Hudachek and then Les Aspin, lacing his insults with just enough compliments to tell us he knows it's a hack-job but wants to seem fair. He comes across as a clever lawyer when he writes about Iran-Contra: "When the [Walsh] report came out, it said that I, too, 'was privy to detailed information regarding arms shipments to Iran' during 1985. Dead wrong. I knew of proposals to ship missiles at the time. I did not know that shipments had actually been made until sometime in 1986." This after he's explained how he ordered missiles transferred to Iran by the CIA. He sounds like a word-smithing slickster trying to stay out of the independent counsel's gunsights. Powell convincingly assesses the military force required to invade Panama but is out of his depth discussing politics. His analysis of Bosnia is just intellectually lazy: "What I saw from the Pentagon was America sticking its hand into a thousand-year-old hornet's nest with the expectation that our presence might pacify the hornets. When ancient ethnic hatreds reignited in the former Yugoslavia and Americans thought we should 'do something' in Bosnia, the bodies of Marines in Beirut were never far from my mind." No serious analyst would ever refer to 'ancient ethnic hatreds'. Not only is the notion thoroughly debunked by the facts, but it also displays a singular failure to educate oneself that is irresponsible in a senior policy-maker. Worse, this excuse for inaction led to the pointless deaths of thousands of Bosnian civilians. He adds, "The West has wrung its hands over Bosnia, but has not been able to find its vital interests. No president could defend the heavy sacrifice of lives it would cost to resolve this baffling conflict." Powell is just wrong, he hasn't taken the time to understand the conflict. After six years of U.S. peacekeeping in Bosnia, there have been precisely zero American combat deaths, the genocidal slaughter has ended, and the U.S. involvement is down to 4,000 troops. Bosnia may have baffled Powell, but it proved susceptible to limited engagement all the same. Powell never defines "vital interests", but his inability to identify any in Bosnia implies a belief that humanitarian issues aren't national interests - a notion that might surprise the founding fathers creating a state dedicated individual rights, as well as to an American public that consistently supports overseas disaster relief and war crimes tribunals, and proud that the U.S. is respected as much for its democratic values as its military might. The citizenry appears to have a broader view of its own 'national interests' than does Powell. He summarizes the Powell Doctrine: "Is the national interest at stake? If the answer is yes, go in, and go in to win. Otherwise, stay out." The problem is that he never finds an occasion where the national interest is at stake, even when everybody else does. After Iraq invaded Kuwait, Powell counseled inaction saying, "Americans do not want their young dying for $1.50-a-gallon oil. We can't make a case for losing lives in Kuwait." He must have been the only one who could deny that U.S. national interests were at stake when Saddam was poised to control 40% of the world's oil supply. Once the war was won, Powell decided that oil was in the national interest after all, later writing about the "vital interest such as we had after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the resulting threat to Saudi Arabia and the free flow of oil." Powell reverts to lawyering in justifying the decision to end the Gulf War after four days, repeatedly noting that everyone agreed. Now, as Secretary of State, he'll have the opportunity to clean up his own Iraqi mess. The gratuitous crack that even if Saddam were deposed, he would not have been replaced "by a Jeffersonian a desert democracy where people read The Federalist Papers", is borderline obscene. The Bush administration encouraged the Iraqi rebels, then, having done so, Powell jokes about abandoning them to die. If he didn't find their Jeffersonian credentials up to snuff, he could have done them the favor of advising them before inciting them to revolt. The Colin Powell in this book is a shadow, self-absorbed, eager to convince us he was right -even where the record is ambiguous, to avenge grudges and to bask in weak praise. While this is typical of beltway biographies, coming from Colin Powell, it's just disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: "Must Reading" for Government Staff Assistants
Review: This is indeed a moving book about a great man's personal life and official career, and I enjoyed it very much on those terms. But as someone who once served as a staff assistant to a senior U.S. government official, I also appreciated very much Mr. Powell's insightful chapters on his experiences and methods when working in similar positions for several military and civilian leaders. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Powell's book is "must reading" for anyone who currently is, expects to be, or aspires to serve in staff positions in the U.S. government.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for the General!
Review: Excellent story that demonstrates what comes from havng a strong value system and focus. A well written blueprint of a career centered around leadership..and serving.
Rating:
Summary: fascinating
Review: Reading about the 'journey' of this dedicated, ambitious, focused, thoughtful, centered man has been fascinating. The stories are insightful and the words of wisdom which occasionally punctuate them are succinct and real.
Rating:
Summary: Rather boring... many opportunities lost !
Review: Unless you are in love with Colin Powell or his career, this book can be awfully boring. A lot of exciting issues arise, as Powell tells of his journey from nowhere, from the poor Bronx, to one of America's top positions. But the account is not condensed enough. It lacks fervour, it is not well written. Yes, indeed the author's 'charisma' transpires through his words - and that is it, for those who, like me, are simply unable to feel his charisma ! Colin Powell's American Journey must have surely been more exciting than his relationships with his mother as a teenager, or getting drunk when he was serving in Germany. The Cold War was happening, then the Gulf War ! He must surely have lived these, but does not seem to have captured the atmosphere of those things - which, as a military, we should not expect him to do. All in all, it may be a good book for those fascinated by Mr Powell, fascinated by his career, but it's surely a very boring version of an "American journey".
Rating: 
Summary: The Journey of a Great Man
Review: Despite its whopping size, the book was never dull to read. We read about his family & upbringing; the people that inspired him to do better; mostly his military career; his involvement with 4 different US Presidents (Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton); the campaigns that he was involved in, such as Desert Shields, Desert Storm, Restore Hope, Just Cause. This book also displayed the passing of time with the ending of Cold War, the changing of emphasis from overseas adventure towards domestic issues in USA, the breaking down of race barrier, the recognition of sexual orientation issue in the military. It's interesting to read also about the diversity of personalities that Colin worked with. Collin took the opportunity here to correct a few misconceptions that the public had over his handling or involvement over several issues such as the Iran Contra scandal, his support of Bill Clinton as the Chief Commander, the aftermath of the Iraqi war which he refused to continue the advance towards Iraq itself, etc. This book was a reminder to all of us that everything is possible should we set our hearts into it. That's what American dream is all about, the land of opportunity is out there as long as you are willing enough to take the chance no matter how many times you might fall. Colin, did however stressed about the derailment of America's society over depicting too much sex & violence in media & how that would inhibit the healthy upbringing of the younger generations that would form the backbone of the future America. With the advent of movies such as There's Something About Mary, Dumb & Dumber, Scary Movie, Me Myself & Irene, there's an element of truth in it, don't you agree? You don't need to be an American to appreciate the positive attitudes that Colin tried to convey in his book. If there's a little bit of Colin in every & each of us, this world would have been a more peaceful place, don't you reckon? Easy flow writing complemented by plenty of pictures tracing his life from childhood to his life as a public speaker. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book Written By A Great Man!
Review: This book is great for a number of reasons. First and foremost Colin Powell has led a very interesting and important life and that makes for a great story. And second, the Ghost author of the book, who I assume does most of the writting did a great job. This is a memoir that reads better than a lot of fiction. While reading this book, I was teaching high school in the South Bronx so it was extra inspiring to read about Powells growing up in a neighborhood around the corner from where I worked. I enjoyed very much his early life in the Bronx and his experiences at CUNY uptown, the same school my father attended. But the book is so much more than Powells life and actions. The book, like the memoir of Stormin Norman, does a great job of describing the Vietnam War. I enjoyed learning about the heroism of our soldiers in Vietnam while at the same time I was frustrated to read about how the war was fought. I gained a new appreciation of what Powell and Schwartzkopf accomplished in the Gulf once I had read about there experiences in Vietnam. Powell's Vietnam experiences certainly explain his Gulf actions and goals. The book also did a good job showing what goes on both on the battlefield and in the Pentagon and Whitehouse. Powells story is very inspiring. This was a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read about an interesting life, military history, politics, leadership, character and on and on. This is an excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Great study of leadership
Review: This excellent book provides a great study of leadership through the story of Colin Powell's life and career. Colin Powell, throughout the course of his career, developed a habit of action that distinguished him as a true leader. His path was circuitous and non-traditional; the truly unique and rich set of experiences that together formed the mosaic of his life tested him on a continual basis. The confluence of the many tests Powell faced and his consistent problem-solving modus operandi forms the essence of his autobiography, My American Journey. The role of Machiavelli's 'fortuna,' however, is not to be discounted. He was often the right man at the right time. A habit of action may best be described as a pattern of behavior exhibited by an individual when confronted with a challenge. To be sure, Colin Powell faced many challenges throughout his career in the Army. Great leaders share one thing in common: underlying their habits of action is a set of core values and guiding principals. In the case of Powell, he stood by his thirteen rules. Taken individually, each of these rules holds an important lesson -- taken as a group, a managerial philosophy and template for leadership becomes visible.
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