Ash Carter - Inside the Five-Sided Box: Lessons from a Lifetime of Leadership in the Pentagon

MORE ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ASH CARTERS INSIDE THE FIVE-SIDED BOX

Ash Carter undertakes to describe what it is like to run the largest enterprise in the world, the U.S. Department of Defense, and he tells his story in a clear and compelling manner. No one should consider taking on any job in the Pentagon, or trying to deal with big national security issues, without reading this book.

William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense (19941997) and author of My Journey at the Nuclear Brink

As Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter was both an ideal public servant and also a model any manager can learn from. Read this book and you will see why the Department of Defense awarded him its highest civilian medal five times.

Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and coauthor of Blitzscaling

For those who served with Ash Carter in the Pentagon, he is a trusted comrade and beloved icon. With his brilliant narrative of how the five-sided behemoth actually functions, the former Defense Secretary is now a deft guide and thoughtful interpreter of what may be the most complex bureaucracy in history.

Stan McChrystal, General (Retired), U.S. Army

Inside the Five-Sided Box offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Pentagon and yet another demonstration of the sharp strategic mind and outstanding sense of leadership Ash Carter displayed.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs

At a time when too few understand the critical role of the Department of Defense, Secretary Carters book bridges this divide with intelligence, insight, and character. An engaging read that illuminates what the public needs to understand to support the military we deserve.

Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America

An inspiring read by a highly respected and reliable colleague. Ash Carter describes the challenges of the office of Secretary of Defense in an impressive manner. When it comes to leadership, he is a true role model, always seeking what is best for his country and his men and women in uniform.

Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Defense, Republic of Germany

Unusually candid and compelling insights... a tour de force on making high-stakes decisions under pressure and uncertainty, managing people whose expertise you dont share, and innovating in the center of a bureaucracy.

Adam Grant, New York Timesbestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves

Ash Carter tells us in digestible detail just how complex it is to build and maintain the worlds greatest military force in the face of ever-new threats. Inside the Five-Sided Box is a master class in what it takes to get the job done to ensure Americas security.

Wendy R. Sherman, director, Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and author of Not for the Faint of Heart

With a workforce larger than Amazon, McDonalds, FedEx, Target, and GE combined, the Pentagon is a five-sided black box that few understand. Ash Carter takes readers inside the worlds largest and most complex organization and provides a master class on leadership, strategy, and thinking outside a five-sided box.

Graham T. Allison, founding dean of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Destined for War

Ash Carters reflections are significant and welcome contributions to our understanding of national security in the 21st century.

David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst and professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Carter, Ashton B., author.

Title: Inside the five-sided box: lessons from a lifetime of leadership in the Pentagon / Ash Carter.

Description: New York, New York: Dutton, [2019]

Identifiers: LCCN 2018060527 | ISBN 9781524743918 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781524743932 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Carter, Ashton B. | United States. Department of Defense. |

United StatesMilitary policyDecision making. | Pentagon (Va.) | United States. Department of DefenseHistory. | United States. Department of DefenseProcurement. | United States. Department of DefenseOfficials and employeesBiography. | Cabinet officersUnited StatesBiography.

Classification: LCC UA23 .C2746 2019 | DDC 355.6092 [B]dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018060527

Excerpts from Preventive Defense: A New Security System for America by Ashton B. Carter and William J. Perry (Brookings Institution Press, 1999). Used by permission of Brookings Institution Press.

Excerpt from The Pentagon Must Think Outside of Its Five-Sided Box by Ashton B. Carter, published in The National Interest, December 11, 2016. Used by permission of The National Interest.

Excerpt from No Exceptions: The Decision to Open All Military Positions to Women by Ash Carter, a report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, December 2018. Excerpt from Shaping Disruptive Technological Change for Public Good by Ash Carter, a lecture given at the Aspen Strategy Group, August 2018. Excerpt from Reflections on American Grand Strategy in Asia by Ash Carter, a report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, October 2018. Excerpt from A Lasting Defeat: The Campaign to Destroy ISIS, by Ash Carter, a report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, October 2017. Excerpts from Ash Carters autobiography, published in Harvard Kennedy School Magazine, 2006. Used by permission of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.

These selections have been adapted for their appearance in this book.

Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the authors alone.

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To the troops, and to the civilians and defense workers who support them, who make it possible for Americans and others around the world to live their lives, dream their dreams, and raise their children in safety