In The Network, Lincoln Schatz has put together an excellent portrait of 89 leaders and innovators in the Washington, DC area. Men and women in politics, business, philanthropy, media, education, and beyond who help to shape their respective fields interviewed with Schatz for 45 minutes during which they discussed legacy, challenges, and aspirations in search of the ideological threads that weave throughout life. It’s an impressive collection of thoughtful people – many of whom we call friends.

Steve Case and Ted Leonsis took part in the portrait. What is most striking about The Network is that after all these conversations with leaders from so many walks of life here in DC, Schatz himself came to understand Washington as a place populated by people dedicated to making a difference, where intelligence is the primary currency. We read and hear so much about how DC is broken – and to be fair quite a bit needs to be fixed – but most men and women who gravitate to Washington, especially those in leadership positions, are driven to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether they are playing a role formulating public policy, reporting on politics, creating jobs as business leaders, giving back as philanthropists, serving in the armed forces, or educating our kids, men and women typically come to DC to serve in some capacity. While the system needs fixing, the people in this book are often quite inspiring. Every once in a while we should remind ourselves of this!

At Revolution, we pride ourselves on trying to change the world by backing people that are building disruptive and innovative companies. In doing so, we hope to continue adding to the vitality of the DC region that is revealed so thoughtfully in The Network.

Here is the Link to the book.