Author Archives: schoultz

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About schoultz

CEO of Fifth Factor Leadership - Speaker, consultant, coach. Formerly Director, Master of Science in Global Leadership at University of San Diego; prior to that, 30 years in the Navy as a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officer.

The Tiger’s Wife, by Tea Obreht

Why this book: Selected by my literature reading group.  Summary in 3 Sentences: This book is hard to summarize, as there are multiple subplots going on in different time windows, with different characters in different places.  The setting is in the … Continue reading

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The Book of Patagonia, by Juan Manuel Herrera Traybel

Why this book:  Recommended to me as a good overview on many aspects of Patagonis to help prepare me to get the most from my trip to Patagonia in February 2026. Summary in 5 Sentences:  A broad history of Patagonia, … Continue reading

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In Patagonia, by Bruce Chatwin

Why this book: I”m preparing to spend 3 weeks in Patagonia with a group of friends, hiking, camping, kayaking. This is a classic in travel literature describing the author’s travels around Patagonia in the late 1960s/ early 70s. Summary in … Continue reading

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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North

Why this book: Selected by my SEAL reading group – something different from a different genre Summary in 3 sentences:  Harry August is dies and is reborn again and again in the same place and time and retains all his … Continue reading

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The Committed, by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Why this book:  Selected by my literature book club, which had read and very much liked The Sympathizer several years ago. Also, I and one in the club attended a presentation by the author. Summary in 5 Sentences:  Our protagonist, … Continue reading

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The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons

Why this book: My Sci Fi book club had read Hyperion, were impressed with it, and we all wanted to see what happened in the sequel Summary in 3 Sentences: This book begins where Hyperion left off, but takes a different approach … Continue reading

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The Last Ride, by Rick Sieman

Why this book: Recommended by my Brother-in- Law Jimmy Phipps who is an avid dirt-biker. Summary in 5 Sentences: An enterprising young man in his late teens, growing up in a small town in  Pennsylvania is gifted a used dirt-bike … Continue reading

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Walking in Mud – a Navy SEAL’s 10 Rules for Surviving the New Normal, by Steve Giblin

Why this book:  The author is a friend of mine who is part of the SEAL Book Club I’ve been part of for a number of years.   Though we had served together many years ago, I didn’t know him well, since … Continue reading

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The Color of Everything – a Journey to Quiet the Chaos, by Cory Richards

Why this book: I read an interview with the author on a substack piece called Transitions. I found the interview and the author fascinating, inspiring me to buy and read the book, which was even better than I expected.  Summary … Continue reading

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Nuclear War – a Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

Why this book: Selected by my SEAL book club. Summary in 3 Sentences: A novel in which the author creates a scenario in which the North Koreans unprovoked, like a bolt out of the blue, launch first one, then a second … Continue reading

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