The Journey of Not Knowing: How 21st Century Leaders Can Chart a Course Where There Is None

Former Amazon executive Benezet’s book works as an effective pitch for the author’s consulting firm but has less to say about the future of business as a whole. The book begins with a brief look at Benezet’s career at Amazon, revealing how she handled difficult real estate acquisitions during the company’s early expansion. This section is the most relevant and clearly written explanation of Benezet’s argument that true leaders are comfortable with new challenges and even welcome their associated discomfort. Elsewhere, the book is light on practical details. A large portion is taken up by a short story, based on an amalgamation of true stories, about a company trying to land a much-needed contract. The drawback of this section is that, as a work of fiction, its happy ending is preordained. A reference to Nelson Mandela also strikes a dissonant note, since most of Benezet’s advice is aimed squarely at business leaders. The essential message for leaders—to embrace the unknown and get out of their own way—is a smart one, but readers might prefer it to be delivered with fewer quotations and buzzwords. [em](BookLife) [/em]