NAILING IT. How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together is an inspiring book. It offers insights into the success of 25 remarkable people — and I will add — 25 plus 1 — because Bob Dilenschneider himself is so remarkable.
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December 28, 2021
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Bob Dilenschneider’s success as the founder of the Dilenschneider Group, the premier corporate strategic counseling and public relations firm, gives him a special understanding of the meaning of success.
Bob was my guest in 2020 to talk about his delightful book: Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World. — one of my favorite books of that year. Now, Nailing It makes Joy on Paper’s list of top ten favorites for 2021.
In his latest book, Nailing It, he focuses on the early years in the life of an eclectic selection of 25 iconic men and women.
As someone who has advised and coached more than 3,000 professionals, Bob Dilenschneider understands the challenges and sacrifices it takes to become a success. These profiles are told with a heartwarming enthusiasm that is contagious and offer a fresh perspective of the lives of those he has selected. Often talking to the reader directly, his encouragement and positive attitude in inspiring.
Many are historical characters, but a number are people with whom Bob has had the joy of actually knowing. It’s not everyday one gets to talk with someone who was actually in the room when I.M. Pei revealed his dramatic 70′ pyramid for the Louvre to the French President François Mitterrand and the then-Mayor of Paris, Jacque Chirac. (I.M. Pei was one of his clients.)
Talk about 6 degrees of separation! His personal connections add an extra depth to Nailing It!
He chatted with Coco Chanel in the lobby of the Ritz Hotel! And had dinner with Nobel Prize winning Rita Levi-Montalcini at the glorious Villa D’Este on Lake Como. (I attended many meetings there when I worked for an Italian bank. I still remember their amazing gnocchi — like eating a cloud.)
His passion for collecting Honoré-Victorin Daumier’s cartoons shines in the chapter about the great artist who had such an influence on French politics.
Nailing It is a perfect book for everyone in their mid-twenties. It delivers the a message: follo your passion; doing your best; and — most importantly — never giving up.
Robert Dilenschneider has chosen people who had an influence on him — and they will have an influence on you. As he points out, some people create their own turning points, other people build on what happens to them.
FOREWARD BY AMBASSADOR BLINKEN
In his forward, Ambassador Donald Blinken (the father of the current Secretary of State) hits the nail on the head with this observation: “The readers of this book….will find plenty of inspiration for their own paths forward.”
A World War II veteran, Blinken graduated magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard. He served as Ambassador to Hungary (1994-97) .
Audible Version
The Audible version of Decision: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World is truly incredible. Non-fiction books often don’t lend themselves well to Audible versions — but combined with Robert Dlienschneider’s great writing and with a terrific narrator, Barry Abrams, who takes on the book like a stage play, it is a winner. I’ve listened to it twice!
I haven’t enjoyed an Audible book so much since I listened to Indra Noori narrate her own story: My Life in Full.
Winner of the PatZi Award
Presented on March 17, 2022
