Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2002: A comprehensive examination of the characteristics of the experienced captain. Each chapter begins with an appropriate and relevant anecdote that is analogous to the chapter's main theme. It then progresses to the chapter's main objective and finishes with a scenario that the reader must try to solve from a captain's perspective. Immediately following each of these scenarios, the reader is presented with a number of considerations that should be evaluated when solving the problem. The intent is to help the pilot practice thinking as a captain. Offering a wealth of practical guidance, this book is an ideal platform for pilots or indeed, anyone interested in how leadership and management skills are used to achieve excellence. The reader should gain important command skills and learn how to apply these skills to routine and unexpected situations, in the same way in which an experienced captain would.