The twenty-fifth Secretary of Defense takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of the Pentagon and what it takes to lead it.
For over thirty-five years Ash Carter served in numerous jobs in the Department of Defense, mostly recently as the twenty-fifth Secretary of Defense under President Obama. He currently serves as the Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School. He also is an innovation fellow at MIT. A native of Philadelphia, he and his wife, Stephanie, have two grown children.
Praise for Inside the Five-Sided Box:
One of The Washington Post’s 10 Leadership Books to Watch for
2019
“In this intelligent, wide-ranging memoir, Carter, President
Obama’s final secretary of defense, outlines the challenges and
intricacies of working in the Pentagon and shares his
organizational philosophy…Foreign policy wonks will eat this
up.”—Publishers Weekly
“A lucid explanation of how the Department of Defense operates…an
illuminating if unsettling account of what it takes to run ‘the
largest and most complex organization in the entire world.’”—Kirkus
Reviews
“Ash Carter is a distinguished public servant and an exceptional
student of strategic affairs. This book should be essential reading
for anyone concerned about the evolution that technology and
political upheavals around the world impose on us.”—Dr. Henry A.
Kissinger
“What happens at the Pentagon can feel mysterious to those outside
its walls. No one knows more about how it works than former Defense
Secretary Ash Carter, an extraordinary leader and public servant of
the highest caliber. This book should be required reading for every
citizen who wants to know more about how our country stays
secure.”—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org
and OptionB.Org
“Everyone knows Ash Carter is one of America's most respected
leaders, but I know firsthand that he is also one of the great
technologists of our time. He adeptly used both gifts to make the
Pentagon as innovative as possible, in turn making us all
as safe as possible. This book tells us how he did it, and
what he thinks needs to happen in the future.”—Eric Schmidt,
Technical Advisor, Alphabet Inc.
“Ash Carter draws lessons that are useful for anyone who wants to
be a great manager or leader or innovator. A tale of
creativity in the face of bureaucracy, the book is both informative
and inspiring.”—Walter Isaacson, University Professor of History,
Tulane University, and author of Steve Jobs
“What does it really take to run, reinvigorate, and reform the
largest, most complex organization on Earth? Ash Carter’s lessons
from four decades in the Pentagon are an essential guide to
leadership for anyone who wants to serve a cause larger than
themselves.”—Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
"A must-read for any citizen who cares about our military and how
it works … not a book about a bureaucracy but a vivid account of
the flesh-and-blood defenders of America. It is a unique
story, by a uniquely qualified former Secretary of Defense."—Robert
M. Gates, Secretary of Defense (2006-2011).
“Nobody knows more about the Pentagon than Ash Carter. And his book
breaks it down so that the American people can understand it,
too.”—Vice President Joe Biden
“Ash Carter’s impressive career in public service is a testament to
the power of steady and informed leadership. His excellent new book
provides critical management lessons, told through his unique
perspective working at the highest levels of government for nearly
four decades. It should be required reading for all who seek to
become effective leaders in any field.”—Christine Lagarde
“Ash Carter undertakes to describe what it is like to run the
largest enterprise in the world, the U.S. Department of Defense,
and he tells his story in a clear and compelling manner. No one
should consider taking on any job in the Pentagon, or trying to
deal with big national security issues, without reading this
book.”—William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense (1994-1997) and
author of My Journey at the Nuclear Brink
“As Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter was both an ideal public
servant and also a model any manager can learn from. Read this book
and you will see why the Department of Defense awarded him its
highest civilian medal five times.”—Reid Hoffman, co-founder of
LinkedIn and co-author of Blitzscaling
“For those who served with Ash Carter in the Pentagon, he is a
trusted comrade and beloved icon. With his brilliant narrative
of how the five-sided behemoth actually functions, the former
Defense Secretary is now a deft guide and thoughtful interpreter of
what may be the most complex bureaucracy in history.”—Stan
McChrystal, General (Retired), U.S. Army
“Inside the Five-Sided Box offers a fascinating insight into
the inner workings of the Pentagon and yet another demonstration of
the sharp strategic mind and outstanding sense of leadership Ash
Carter displayed.”—Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe
and Foreign Affairs
"At a time when too few understand the critical role of the
Department of the Defense, Secretary Carter's book bridges this
divide with intelligence, insight, and character. An engaging read
that illuminates what the public needs to understand to support the
military we deserve."—Jennifer Pahlka, founder and Executive
Director of Code for America
"An inspiring read by a highly respected and reliable colleague.
Ash Carter describes the challenges of the office of Secretary of
Defense in an impressive manner. When it comes to leadership, he is
a true role model, always seeking what is best for his country and
his men and women in uniform."—Ursula von der Leyen, Federal
Minister of Defense, Republic of Germany
“Unusually candid and compelling insights…a tour de force on making
high-stakes decisions under pressure and uncertainty, managing
people whose expertise you don’t share, and innovating in the
center of a bureaucracy.”—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling
author of Give and Take, Originals, Option B and Power Moves
“Ash Carter tells us in digestible detail just how complex it is to
build and maintain the world’s greatest military force in the face
of ever new threats. Inside the Five-Sided Box is a master
class in what it takes to get the job done to ensure America’s
security.”—Wendy R. Sherman, Director, Center for Public Leadership
at Harvard Kennedy School and author of Not for the Faint of
Heart
“With a workforce larger than Amazon, McDonald’s, FedEx, Target,
and GE combined, the Pentagon is a five-sided black box that few
understand. Ash Carter takes readers inside the world’s largest and
most complex organization and provides a master class on
leadership, strategy, and thinking outside a five-sided
box.”—Graham T. Allison, Founding Dean of the Harvard Kennedy
School and author of Destined for War
"Ash Carter’s reflections are significant and welcome contributions
to our understanding of national security in the 21st
century."—David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst and professor
of public service, Harvard Kennedy School
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