Compelling vignettes of leaders, and for that reason the book is worthwhile. But whether "solitude" carries the burden for each of those leaders, and therefore whether the book's central premise holds, is less clear cut. ( )

The book is a series of stories illustrating how contemporary and historical leaders have used solitude to achieve clarity of thought, tap into intuitive insights, spark creativity, achieve emotional balance, bolster moral courage, and more. The leader profiles make for interesting reading. This is not a “how-to” book, though. Only in the last few pages are specific recommendations given for how to carve out alone time for focused thinking. Rather, the book’s focus is to make a case for the importance of solitude to leadership by illustrating the role of solitude in key decisions and actions taken by leaders in politics, business, the military, academia, not-for-profits, religion, activism, and other arenas. The writing is engaging, the stories illustrative, and the lessons informative. ( )