This little book is a bounty of inspiring messages and big ideas. It opens with some critical thinking about the separateness we often experience in an otherwise connected world, and it shows how a powerful desire for oneness is emerging (with some surprising conclusions about the role of technology in this process).

It then gently flows into a practical examination of life's key lessons as it lays out the CASTLE principles for leadership. A few central messages rang true for me: what we do to our customers, our employees, and our investors, we do to ourselves; there's more room for myth, mystery, and magic in our life's work; and a key role of leaders is "serving employees" (rather than the conventional thought of employees serving management).

I really appreciate the way strong stories are used to make a point as well as to help support an emotional connection with each message. Lance Secretan employs Courage, one of his CASTLE principles, to explain the role of love in leadership and business. This isn't an easy thing to do, and he makes a solid case and does it well.

This is definitely a book to read twice: there are so many ideas packed within. It's a gem that argues, and reinforces, that doing the right thing is really the best way to run a business after all. For those of us aspiring to run businesses along the lines of the CASTLE principles, many of these points may seem second nature, but having one's values validated so thoroughly is inspiring and encouraging. I am more committed than ever to stay the course. In the end, the principles and ideas contained herein are not just for leading a good business: they are for leading a good life.

Review By Kirk C. Hoessle (Girdwood, Alaska)