Why people recommend it
Call Sign Chaos by James N. Mattis and Bing West is a military memoir and leadership guide detailing the experiences and philosophy of the retired general. On an episode of How I Write titled How to Write a Book Like Ryan Holiday in 2024, Ryan Holiday mentioned Call Sign Chaos to support the broader argument regarding the critical importance of reading for leaders in order to avoid costly mistakes. Holiday also referenced the work on The Daily Stoic during a 2021 episode featuring Sam and Colby, noting that General Mattis is a significant proponent of Stoicism and discusses the philosophy within the book. Holiday used the text to emphasize the necessity of learning from history and military experience. Additionally, Holiday brought up the book on a later 2021 episode of The Daily Stoic with guest H.R. McMaster to discuss the importance of extensive reading within one's specific domain, drawing upon a notable quote from the general and his colleague found within its pages. Throughout these podcast appearances, the speakers consistently framed the memoir as an essential manual for understanding strategic thinking, leadership dynamics, and the practical application of historical knowledge to modern challenges.
Who recommended it
- Ryan Holiday Recommended
Ryan Holiday — 3 mentions
“General Mattis, have you heard General Mattis's book calls on Chaos? It's very good.”
“i was thinking about that quote from from your friend and colleague general mattis uh it's in it's in call sign chaos”
“general mattis who's a big fan of stoicism talks about this in his book call sign chaos which is very good he says”