There were several things that I was going to write today, but it is too darn hot.[1] So I’m going to just quickly note that Colin Powell is on a book tour hocking what looks to be a real POS, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership.

On The Daily Show he said the book can be summed up by the first and last of his “13 rules” of leadership. (Like all that leadership he showed at the UN.) Rather than quote these rules (which would be tiresome), I will just boil them down to their essence: have a positive attitude! So now you don’t have to buy this $27.99 waste of paper. First, now you know what’s in the book. Second, now you know that what’s in the book is not true.

To take this in a different direction, people are often told that having a positive attitude will help them beat cancer. This is not only untrue, it is cruel. Similarly, if you keep losing 10% of your troops in every battle, no amount of cheer leading is going to bring morale up.

Why is it that people with nothing to say continue to get million dollar advances to say it? And Powell didn’t even write it. The book was written by hired gun Tony Koltz who is well known for the other books he wrote that were “written” by famous people.

Colin Powell shows that you don’t have to be good to have a good reputation. All you have to do is surround yourself with people who are worse than you. Using this simple rule, which I’m sure is not in It Worked for Me, you will always be loved. Colin Powell: the other evil politician!

[1] Kiss Me Kate: