Hearts Touched With Fire has some good stories but also doesnt entirely seem too sure who the audience is. At times it seems to be for leaders in middle management and other times heavily leans into being a book for someone in their 20's. It did not keep a strong focus throughout and so I did not know whether it was for me.

There’s nothing at all wrong with this book, but there’s really not a lot that’s new here either. Gergen has sought to tie together all that he has learned in four decades of public service, and the impulse is admirable. But his heavy reliance on other leadership writers, from Erik Ericsson to Peter Drucker, begins to feel as if he is summarizing from the experience of others rather than from his own. Still, it’s probably a really good read for younger people who may not have read Drucker or Bennis, Gladwell or Ericsson, or even William James. His scholarship cannot be faulted.

One of the things that I did appreciate quite a bit was Gergen’s clear distinction between values and principles, with examples of each. One might also think that the use of the stories of everyone from FDR to Greta Thunberg would be useful and engaging, and it would true. Still, the impression I came away with that he was pulling stories from here and there in an attempt to be relevant.

I’ve returned to the book numerous times in the midst of reading other things. Regrettably, I feel that I am slogging through it in an attempt to be faithful to what seems like such a noble attempt to impart good and inspiring content.

This book has already been released. I received a copy after the publication date. I did truly want to be inspired, and to find hope. The sources are good. They just don’t seem to be put together creatively. Perhaps, however, Gergen will find his audience and I will be proved wrong. I sincerely hope so.

HEARTS TOUCHED WITH FIRE by David Gergen explores "How Great Leaders are Made." Gergen has an impressive set of credentials: a White House adviser to four US presidents of both parties, over two decades as a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a senior political analyst for CNN. Drawing on work by Joseph Campbell about the hero's journey, Gergen encourages readers to look both inwardly, evaluating their own strengths and weaknesses, and outwardly, building relationships and forming teams. Thus, he examines both leadership qualities and how a leader deals with others. Highly relevant for our students are the many examples of leaders in action which he includes, particularly since many of them are young (Malala, Greta Thunberg, and Parkland students like David Hogg). A key point is the importance of preparing young people for lives of service and leadership by unleashing their idealism. Many of our sophomore students complete a project about what makes a leader and they would likely benefit from reading and discussing Gergen’s Executive Summary with 20 key takeaways (e.g., "Try hard things, Fail, Move on"). Extensive notes make up roughly twenty percent of HEARTS TOUCHED WITH FIRE; for more on this text, here is a video of Gergen discussing it recently on PBS NewsHour:
https://www.pbs.org/video/hearts-touched-with-fire-1652476915/

David Gergen made a career in the White House, working for four different US presidents. He is also the founder of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. In this book, he shares his vast knowledge about leadership, character, courage, and determination.

I greatly enjoyed the book. Gergen has a smooth, conversational writing style that makes the important concepts he shares easier to read and retain. He breaks down complex topics into bullet points and numbered lists. He shares his own experiences, as well as advice from other well-respected leaders.

I highly recommend this book, as well as any other opportunity to learn from David Gergen. He is an accomplished mentor and educator who believes in empowering others and has dedicated his life to bettering our society. Learning from him is a privilege.

This book was released last month and should be available at your local bookstore. Give it a read. Let it speak to you. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to David Gergen, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I have long admired David Gergen and his openmindedness. While I am still reading his new book, I have read enough at this point to say this is one of the most important and inspiring books I have read in a long time. His clarion call for leadership, values, service and integrity are so desperately needed in our highly polarized times. Not only will I continue to read I will use his message as I teach.