Fred Smith of Arabia

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:07:20 -0500

As it turns out, Fred Smith has been quoting Lawrence of Arabia.

On the stump, the Republican gubernatorial candidate has been citing a line from Os Guiness' "The Call" about "dreamers of the day" and "dreamers of the night."

As a Dome reader points out, the line is originally from T.E. Lawrence, the famed British soldier and organizer of the Arab tribes and author of "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom."

"All men dream: but not equally," Lawrence wrote. "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."

Dome looks forward to more Lawrence quotes from Smith, including Dome's favorite (from the film): "Nothing is written."

Update: Smith says that Guinness' cites Lawrence, but he has never read "Seven Pillars" so he attributes the idea to his reading of "The Call."

"I can't say I've read Lawrence of Arabia, so it would be wrong for me to quote that," he told Dome.

Hat Tip: David Daniel

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.