Fred Smith's reading list

mtomsic — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:12:33 -0500

What's on Fred Smith's nightstand?

In recent campaign speeches and events, the Republican gubernatorial candidate has cited a number of books from the worlds of Chrisianity, sports and business:

"The Call"
by Os Guinness

The Book: The descendant of a famous Irish brewer, Guinness is a best-selling author who writes about self-fulfillment and how the purpose-driven life meets God's plan.

Smith's Review: On the stump, he cites Guinness' distinction between "dreamers of the night" and "dreamers of the day." Those who wake up from their dreams find that "all is vanity," he says. "Dreamers of the day are dangerous people because they dream with their eyes open."

"Michigan State Multiple Offense"
by Clarence "Biggie" Munn

The Book: The noted college football coach at Michigan State University from 1947 to 1953, Munn outlined his formula for winning and his coaching style in this book after he retired.

Smith's Review: Smith cites an aphorism from the book regularly on the campaign trail: "The difference between good and great is a little extra effort." His autobiography, "A Little Extra Effort," and his campaign song, "From Good to Great," also reference it.

"From Good to Great"
by Jim Collins

The Book: A business professor and a team of researchers combed over the results of more than 1,400 companies to find out how some of them made substantial improvement.

Smith's Review: In his autobiography, Smith says that Collins' writings "fit well with my own philosophy." He argues that organizations often avoid doing what it takes to be better: Discipline, extra effort and intense commitment.