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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – The U.S. Transportation Command’s Research Center (TCRC) wants you to read more.  To that end, TCRC has gathered selected books from each of the services’ reading lists and some of our favorites and made them available for check out. 

In addition to the two books picked by Gen. William M. Fraser III, commander USTRANSCOM (Thin Book of Trust, by Charles Feltman) and Lt. Gen. Kathleen M. Gainey, deputy commander, USTRANSCOM (Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars, by Patrick Lencioni) for their reading clubs, here are ten of the 118 titles we have available:

--America’s Constitution:  A Biography, By Akhil Reed Amar.  We’re pretty familiar with the Constitution but do we know what’s behind the words?  Why did the founders stipulate that a president had to be at least 35 years old?  And why is the Constitution such a remarkable document?

--Guns, Germs, and Steel:  The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond.  I don’t know about you but I have wondered certain things about the past:  why did certain civilizations thrive while others didn’t; how did writing develop; why did certain civilizations abandon mechanical clocks and guns while others embraced that technology; and, most importantly, why weren’t zebras domesticated as horses were?  Diamond answers these questions as he explains how and why civilizations developed as they did.

--Decision Points, by George W. Bush; No Higher Honor, by Condoleeza Rice; Known and Unknown, by Donald H. Rumsfeld; and In My Time, by Dick Cheney.  Read what four of the most influential people of the 21st century have to say about themselves and the decisions they made after 9-11.

--A Message to Garcia, by Elbert Hubbard.  This book is on both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Marine Corps reading lists.  It’s a short tale of a difficult mission during the Spanish-American War. 

--Tried By War:  Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief, by James W. McPherson.  President Lincoln had very little military experience.  He was a militia captain during the Black Hawk War of 1832 and by his own admission saw no battle other than with mosquitoes.  So how did he establish himself as the greatest commander in chief in American history? 

--Moneyball, by Michael Lewis.  Yes, the movie starring Brad Pitt is based on this book.  But this is more than a book about baseball.  Supervisors, managers, and company presidents should read this book to find out how to find their best employee.  That person may not be the one who appears to be the best, but the underachiever who hasn’t been given the right problem to solve.  And it’s still a great baseball book.

--Lemay:  The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay, by Warren Kozak.  LeMay, whose career spanned the decades from World War II to the Vietnam War, was an innovative pilot and navigator, a leader who led from the front, a brilliant strategist, a patriot, and George Wallace’s running mate in 1968.

These are just a few of the interesting books available for your summer reading.  Find the complete list on TCRC’s SharePoint page or just come in and browse.  We are located in Building 1900E, room 134. 

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