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 Shipping News, by Annie Proulx

Posted on July 30, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book: Selected by my literature reading group – several had already read it and wanted to read it again.  It is one of a handful of novels that won the American Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in … Continue reading →

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Woman, Captain, Rebel – The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain, by Margaret Willson

Posted on July 24, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book: I was planning to travel to Iceland for a hike and wanted to learn about the people and its history. This book was strongly  recommended by two women on the hike. Summary in 4 Sentences:  The book … Continue reading →

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How Iceland Changed the World – The Big History of a Small Island, by Egill Bjarnsason

Posted on June 22, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book:  I’m preparing to hike for a week in Iceland with NOLS,  and this book comes strongly recommended by a friend who has done that hike. I listened to the book which served me well.  Summary in 4 … Continue reading →

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The Japanese Lover, by Isabel Allende

Posted on June 20, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book:  Selected by my literature book club. Summary in 3 sentences:  There are two  key protagonists in this novel, beginning with a young woman Irina who is working in a retirement home in the early 21st century in the … Continue reading →

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The Tiger – A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, by John Vaillant

Posted on June 8, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book: Highly recommended by Ryan Holliday.  Selected by my “literature” reading group and was a near select by my SEAL reading group. Summary in 3 Sentences: This is the author’s account of his research into how the Russian … Continue reading →

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Beyond the Trident, by Tom Murphy

Posted on May 21, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book:  I had briefly met Tom Murphy during my career in the Navy, and I recall that he had a reputation as an unusually intelligent and gifted SEAL Officer.  I was very interested in his perspective on the … Continue reading →

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Once Upon a Town – The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen, by Bob Greene

Posted on May 7, 2025 by schoultz

Why this Book: I had read an OpEd by Bob Greene that I liked, and in the postscript about the author, it mentioned this book which sounded interesting, The subject appealed to me, and it appeared to be short, so … Continue reading →

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Spider World #6 Shadowland, by Colin Wilson

Posted on April 30, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book:   The final book in Colin Wilson’s Spider World Series, following The Desert, The Tower, The Fortress, The Delta, and The Magician.  In some configurations of the Spider World series, the first three books are combined into one, entitled … Continue reading →

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A Soldier of the Great War, by Mark Helprin

Posted on April 30, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book: Recommened to me by several credible friends.  Also, having read >>>>Continie which also takes place in Northern Italy,  and now  that I have hiked 3 times in the Dolomites, where much of this novel takes place, I was … Continue reading →

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Red Dog Farm, by Nathaniel Ian Miller

Posted on April 28, 2025 by schoultz

Why this book:  I’m planning to spend a couple of weeks in Iceland this summer and somehow this book came to my attention as a novel which takes place in rural Iceland fairly recently. I read it as part of … Continue reading →

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