Reading List

Chief of Staff of the Air Force

Professional Reading List

book

Attitudes Aren't Free: Thinking Deeply about Diversity in the US Armed Forces

by James E. Parco & David A. Levy

We are the world’s most powerful Air Force, simply because we have the best men and women our Nation has to offer delivering Airpower every day.  We have always led the country in recruiting and integrating a diverse workforce, but we must continually strive to find better ways to onboard and retain Airmen with diverse backgrounds and experiences.  Before we can leverage these viewpoints, we need to be comfortable understanding each other—this book is a great read on current discussions across a number of diversity themes.

book

Skunk Works

by Ben R. Rich & Leo Janos

Innovation has always been a keystone of the U.S. military, and nowhere is this more apparent than the evolution of stealth aircraft technology.  A staunch partnership between the Air Force and our industry partners started with a bold quest—make an attack aircraft with the radar cross section of a marble.  Today, we have unmatched 5th generation fighters, and our B-21 Raider will take stealth into the next century.  We must get comfortable thinking outside the box and innovating daily … this book sets the tone.

book

Thank You for Being Late

by Thomas L. Friedman

The rate of technological and social change around the globe is unprecedented, and our young Airmen thrive in this dynamic environment.  Information is presented to us at a speed and volume that can often be overwhelming.  We must have an appreciation for these changes taking place around us, so we can leverage this understanding increase our lethality and warfighting advantages.  This book provides a great perspective, in the right context, as we acknowledge and grasp the environment changing in our midst.

book

Big Data

by Victor Mayer-Schönberger & Kenneth Cukier

In order to succeed as a joint force, we must be able to conquer the speed of information flow and volume of data presented to us in future conflict—quickly turning it into decision-quality information for our leaders.  Airmen must understand the power of this new era of data, and help us find ways to collate, assess, and efficiently utilize it every day.  This book gives us insight in how big data is changing everything.