"...offers an eclectic menu of treats that serve up a new and fresh look at a genre we rarely connect directly to the demands of the real world, much less plumb for key lessons about leadership." -- ARMY Magazine
In the past decade, heroes and villains spawned from the pages of comic books have upended popular culture and revolutionized the entertainment industry. The narratives weave together a multitude of complementary and sometimes competing storylines, spun across decades, generations, and mediums, forming a complex tapestry that simultaneously captures the imagination and captivates the mind. These stories reveal our own vulnerabilities while casting an ideal to which we aspire. They pull at our deepest emotions and push us to the cusp of reality, and bring us back to Earth with a renewed hope of a better tomorrow. They are an endless source of powerful metaphors to help us learn and develop, then be the best versions of ourselves possible.
Through the lens of the superhero genre, each chapter explores contemporary challenges in leadership, team building, and conflict, while emphasizing the role of humanity and human nature in our own world.
Contributors: Ian Boley, Jo Brick, Mitch Brian, Max Brooks, Mike Burke, Kelsey Cipolla, Amelia Cohen-Levy, Mick Cook, Jeff Drake, Clara Engle, Candice Frost, Ronald Granieri PhD, Heather S, Gregg PhD, James Groves, Geoff Harkness PhD, Theresa Hitchens, Kayla Hodges, Cory Hollon PhD, Joshua Huminski, Erica Iverson, Alyssa Jones, Mathew Klickstein, Jonathan Klug, Matt Lancaster, Steve Leonard, Karolyn McEwen, Eric Muirhead, Jon Niccum, Kera Rolsen, Mick Ryan, Julie Still, Patrick Sullivan, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Dan Ward, and Janeen Webb PhD.
Industry Reviews
"A superhero does not have to worry about the same limitations be they bureaucracy, human endurance, or the laws of physics. However, back in the reality-verse readers can use Power Up to draw on superheroes' lessons of leadership, character, and team building to form empowering institutions for very average and frail, but very real, humans to do great things."-- "Diplomatic Courier"
"Power Up accomplishes what the best superhero stories set out to do: it both entertains and makes you think."--P.W. Singer, NY Times bestselling author of "Wired for War" and "Ghost Fleet"
"Power Up is a captivating book that merges the world of superheroes with leadership and character development. By examining the traits of beloved superheroes, the remarkable group of authors offer valuable insights on resilience, integrity, empathy, and accountability. This book empowers readers to unleash their inner hero and cultivate essential leadership qualities for the ever-changing world."--Mike Erwin, Founder and Executive Director of Team Red, White & Blue
"Power Up is a terrific example of the dynamic creativity of military professionalism in the West, as well as its fundamental anchoring in our dominant cultural narratives. These essays - using superhero stories and attributes as their guiding lights - prove why to bet your money on Western militaries winning wars (as well as what nerds all these authors are!)."--Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and author of "Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony"
"In Power Up, one of the contributing authors tells us that 'In our own way, we're all Batman.' And more than we often realize, it's true. This collection of thoughtful essays shows us how the popular heroes of comic books and movies are actually culture carriers of leadership and values. Where generations once quoted Shakespeare's Henry V, today we echo the words of cape-wearing crime fighters, but the lessons are no less powerful or relevant."--General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army, Retired
