I decided I was going to read a book a week for a year, here’s a quick review of this week’s book. You can see the ongoing list here.
Basic Info
Why I bought it
![](http://www.ipac.ca/2011/images/Bob.jpg)
The author, Bob Chartier, is a Canadian civil servant, a leader in his own right, and a friend. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Bob a couple of times in my career and he has always been kind enough to share his knowledge with me the old fashioned way; through real conversation.
How it connects to the Public Sector
The book takes the form of a series of letters from an experienced public servant to a young one (whom Bob affectionately addresses as Grasshopper). Each letter focuses on particular lesson and the book covers a gamut of public sector issues and if Bob was more technologically inclined he probably would have published the book as a series of blog posts. They are short, poignant, and to the point.
What I got out of reading it
Given that I have spent time with Bob in the past, I was familiar with some of the stories he shares in the book, but that didn’t detract from the experience at all.
I put down the book feeling like the book should be online somewhere (maybe I will speak to him about that) or a should establish another site that takes the premise to the next level; a fictitious exchange of letters (emails?) between those at opposite ends of the spectrum of public service experience.
If you can’t get your hands on a copy of the book, you can always check out this article he wrote to get a better sense of where he is coming from.
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