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CNO Adm. Richardson meets with tactics instructors at SNA. (Photo by Lt. Matthew A. Stroup) |
At this week's Surface Navy Association Symposium in Virginia, someone asked Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson what he's reading.
The CNO reminded the questioner, "Y'know, I actually have a reading list."
After the crowd chuckled and applauded, the CNO answered that – in addition to the Navy Professional Reading Program list – he has been reading two books that are "future-looking" and not on NPRP. Richardson recommended books that reinforce each other's subjects into a congruent theme.


Barnes & Noble published a "Humility Is the New Smart" recommendation by former CNO Adm. (ret.) Gary Roughead: “The forces of the Smart Machine Age are already upon us, and like time and tide they cannot be held back. Hess and Ludwig are out front with this insightful, practical, and compelling guide to navigating, transforming, and leading organizations for this new age in which the nature of work and the workforce will be dramatically different.”
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Former CHINFO, Pentagon and State Dept. Spokesperson John Kirby. |
CNO Richardson advised reading about history, especially World War II history. "Read well-written history," he said, "Hornfischer, Toll ... Pick up any book by those folks and start reading."
On Thursday, Jan. 11 at the U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Symposium at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, keynote speaker Rear Adm. (ret.) John Kirby, former Chief of Navy Information, Pentagon spokesperson and State Department spokesperson, not only recommended two books but also read passages to make his points.
He also is interested in the future – and how the future has already arrived for communicators and the military.


Kirby advises: "Read widely, read well."
On his reading list Kirby recommended the best book for writers, the late William Zinsser's "On Writing Well."
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