Obama the Reader

I found this from someone. CNN's Fareed Zakaria, on his show "GPS," talked about a book that President Elect Obama is reading. This is a month old program, but still of value. To quote Mr Zakaria:

Now, my book recommendation for this week is the book Obama was said to be reading over the last two weeks. It's a Pulitzer Prize winner, "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001."

Steve Coll, the author, is an extraordinary writer and journalist. And the book really explains how U.S. policies and actions going back decades helped give rise to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and explains the many problems in Afghanistan today that go much deeper and are much more complex than anything you would really recognize.

It's a great read and is really important to understanding how to approach this very complicated society.

And, CNN asked that we credit all usage to CNN's Fareed Zakaria--GPS and you can always contact: Carolyn Disbrow, (917) 575-5121 / Megan Grant, (202) 515-2920 / Meryl Conant, (202) 515-2950 or their web page.

The other thing about this program is that it includes an interview with David Kilcullen, a former Australian Army Officer and a Special Advisor to the US Secretary of State on Counterinsurgency. Lt-Col Kilcullen is very experienced and very smart. His views are worth listening to.

Regards -- Cliff