Decisions, Decisions

     Our most recent find of the week on the used book floor clearly came from someone who may have been dealing with some inner conflict.  What type of inner conflict, you may ask, and what makes us so sure?  Keep reading and see what you think.

     The book that held the finds is entitled, “Certain Trumpets: The Call of Leaders” and it was written by Garry Willis in 1994.  Willis is famous for his previous book, “Lincoln at Gettysburg,” which gave the reader an in-depth look at President Lincoln as a leader.  Willis later won the Pulitzer and other prestigious awards for his writing in this book.  “Certain Trumpets” picks up where “Lincoln at Gettysburg” left off and examines leaders from political, artistic, sports, military, business and religious realms.  He discusses how leaders are shaped and how they must help to shape the actions of others.  The book also states that in order for one to be called a leader, he/she must have followers.

  

Here is where the conflict comes to light.  Hidden in different pages of the book were two political campaign bumper stickers, each from the 1996 United States presidential campaign.  One bumper sticker stated bold support for CLINTON/GORE, while roughly 50 pages later, the second bumper sticker clearly advocated for DOLE/KEMP.  Both appeared to be used as bookmarks for places in the book that the reader agreed with, or could relate to.  Yes, that is right – the person reading this book had campaign stickers from both of the candidates (i.e. conflict) in a book about leadership.

     See what we mean?  Was the reader unsure of who to vote for, so he/she used campaign stickers from each candidate to align with different sections of the book in the hopes that it would provide clarity?  Was he/she looking to become a “follower” of one of the political leaders, as Willis mentions in his book?  Did the book provide any insight at all, or were the bumper stickers left in this book because the reader could not decide on either one of the candidates?  Can you sense the inner struggle, here?  We only wish we knew what conclusion the reader came to when voting day rolled around in November. 

     The 1994 copy of “Certain Trumpets” (complete with stickers) it is for sale here at Bayswater for the price of $15.00, as it is a first edition hardcover.  To catch up with our previous finds of the week from the used book floor, you can always check us out at bayswaterbooks.com and on facebook, or stop by the store in Center Harbor and check out the used book floor for yourself!